4 Takeaways From Bears? Win Over Bengals: Caleb Williams Forging His Own Path

Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears

Chicago Bears rookie quarterback Caleb Williams and the No. 1 offense took a while to get going. Williams finished 6-for-13 for 75 passing yards, adding seven yards and a score on the ground. Perhaps spurred on by that scramble for a touchdown, Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill offered up the comparison we have heard quite often when it comes to Williams.

?Caleb Williams so nice he remind me of ??,? Hill posted on X on August 17.

Bears-Bengals Takeaways: Caleb Williams Forging His Own Path

Bears’ Caleb Williams Reacts to Tyreek Hill’s Comments

Hill was seemingly referring to Kansas City Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes ? who has ascended to the top of the current quarterback pantheon since entering the league in 2017 ? alongside whom Hill won a Super Bowl.

Presented with Hill?s comments in that context, Williams was appreciative. But he was also clear that he was forging his own path with the Bears.

?It’s cool, it’s great,? Williams told Clocker Sports during his postgame press conference. ?I always say it’s respect. But we weren’t our best today. We started out slow, and we can’t do that in the National Football League. You can’t come out here and start slow, so ? myself included. We’re going to get a lot better, we’re going to keep growing, and we’re going to have a lot of fun doing it. Winning these games, going out there versus these other teams, playing as one. And so we’re excited.

?It’s respect, it’s cool, and all. But I’m Caleb Williams. Patrick Mahomes is Patrick Mahomes. Tyreek Hill is Tyreek Hill. Much love to them and things like that. Met them, talk to them both, and things like that. But we’re here to win games for Chicago Bears.?

Mahomes is a three-time Super Bowl champion (with four trips), a six-time Pro Bowler, and a two-time MVP and All-Pro. The Bears will visit the Chiefs to conclude the preseason on August 22.

Williams, still in the infancy of his NFL career, has a long way to go to realize his full potential.

The Bears had three straight three-and-outs to start their preseason win over the Cincinnati Bengals. That is potentially concerning considering they were facing a group of second-string Bengals defenders.

However, teammate Teven Jenkins commented on Williams? poise amid the offense?s poise amid a slow start when asked.

?Just seeing this from him even all throughout camp, there’s a lot of guys getting pushed back and pressure ? the bull rush. You want to press a young QB, see what happens when he does [get pressured, speaking] out of the defensive mind,? Jenkins told Clocker Sports. ?And for him, he just sits there back there just poised, calm, collected. Moves the pocket around. ?It’s really impressive to see.

?I wouldn?t say it gives us a calming presence. But it’s like that, ?Maybe I got beat. But I can recover and he still going to be in that same spot because he trusts the whole offensive line.?

To that last point, Williams was sure to take the blame for the one sack he absorbed on the day. Jenkins ? who is in the final year of his rookie contract and has spoken about the ongoing process with the Bears ? also paved the way for Williams on the latter?s seven-yard scamper to pay dirt on the starters? final drive.

Rome Odunze Looking to Learn From Missed Connection

Williams looked in Rome Odunze?s direction two times in this one, connecting on a spectacular 45-yard play in the second quarter. Williams went right back to his draft classmate on the next play, looking to connect in the back of the end zone.

Odunze did not get both feet in bounds and spoke candidly about it being a learning experience.

?If I’m being honest, it definitely was in my peripheral,? Odunze told reporters in the locker room after the game. ?I was like, ?Okay.? I seen the backline and figured I was in by a comfy margin. But that’s something that you can?t have out there. You got to be aware of the double lines and stuff like that.

?It got me a little bit. But now I’ve learned. now I know that I need to make sure I?m in, make sure I?m available for Caleb to throw me the ball, especially on touchdowns.

Odunze also took an end around for 16 yards.

His connection with Williams is critical for the Bears? future, but it has yet to materialize in their two-plus quarters on the field together. The rookies did not play versus the Houston Texans in the Hall of Fame Game.

Odunze failed to haul in his lone target in preseason Week 1 versus the Buffalo Bills, giving him a 1-45-0 line on three targets.

That is too small of a sample size to worry and Saturday offered another example of why.

This preseason is informative for how Odunze?s season could look. Amid the excitement around the No. 1 pick in Williams and the plethora of weapons at his disposal, he is still a rookie on a team where virtually everyone is learning a new offense.

Odunze?s time will come, and his big-play ability has already been on display. He clearly wanted that score, though.

Jonathan Owens Touts Bears? Depth

The Bears led 10-3 at halftime with the starters playing the duration of the first two quarters. The second team took over after that, adding 14 more points in the third quarter. Defensively, Chicago pitched a second-half shutout.

Again, Saturday?s effort came against second and even third-stringers from the outset.

Still, the Bears? reserves have allowed a total of three points in six second-half quarters of preseason play.

?That’s exactly what you’re supposed to do,? Owens told Clocker Sports after the win over Cincinnati. ?Improve every week, man, and I feel like that’s exactly what we’re doing. We coming together as a team and that?s showing on the field, especially even when the reserves are in. It’s no drop-off. It’s just proven to the coaching staff and everyone?s hard work.?

Owens, who has been back from Paris where he watched his wife, Simone Biles, participate in the 2024 Summer Olympics for several weeks, admitted that his first day back was a bit of a challenge.

He again credited the coaching staff with having a plan to reintegrate him.

Owens did not get on the stat sheet, but he was in on some key stops. He was sure to note that the mindset is to do more.

?The goal is always just want to make another big, impact play,? Owens said. ?Whether it’s a punch out, interception, something. There’s always more you could do. Never could be complacent.?

The reserves could see ample snaps in the preseason finale versus the Chiefs.

Owens was also asked about the jacket Biles wore to the game that made waves with its Green Bay Packers theme. It also had images of him on it, and that, Owens says, was the reason she donned it for the game.

Bears Blitz Gets Home vs Bengals

The Bears defense is highly regarded with Bengals players even remarking on it during their joint practice on Thursday, per safety Kevin Byard after the session. They record two sacks on Bengals starter Logan Woodside. Statistically, that is only slightly better than their one-sack effort versus the Texans and well short of their eight-sack effort against the Bills.

However, both sacks versus the Bengals came from the Bears? secondary.

Starting nickelback Kyler Gordon and backup Josh Blackwell both notched sacks, with Gordon?s a particularly jarring blow as Woodside surveyed the field from the pocket.

Bears secondary members had three of the team?s 30 sacks in 2023. An increase in that number would help ease concerns about the defensive end spot opposite Montez Sweat on passing downs when DeMarcus Walker slides inside to tackle. Rookie Austin Booker has already begun that with his play.

Even if they do not blitz, the threat of Gordon and the secondary doing it is another thing for opponents to worry about which could also help free up Sweat, Booker, Walker, etc.