Bears vs. Bills First Half Takeaways: D'Andre Swift proves he's a weapon-back, Caleb Williams wows with multiple big throws

Two quarters are down Highmark Stadium between the Chicago Bears and the Buffalo Bills with the Bears leading 6-3 at the break.

Both teams saw some quick but efficient work from their starters on both sides but it was the Bears who garnered all the headlines during the first half.

Here are three takeaways from what we saw out of the Bears' starters on Saturday:

D'Andre Swift Shows Off His Explosiveness

The Bears new running back D'Andre Swift debuted for the first time against the Bills with the rest of the starting offense, alongside rookie quarterback Caleb Williams .

On the ground, Swift had just one carry on the opening drive that went for three yards. His big play came through the air after catching a screen pass from Williams and turning it into a 42-yard gain to get the Bears' offense down the field.

Williams had heavy pressure on the play but was still able to dump the ball down to Swift. From there, Swift's burst kicked into gear as he raced down the sideline before getting tripped up by Bills cornerback Rasul Douglas. That kind of versatility is exactly what Swift was missing from his game last season with the Eagles and something the Bears coaching staff aimed to bring back to his game after signing him in free agency.

Caleb Williams Makes The Hard Throws Look Easy

The Bears' first overall pick ended his debut after two drives against the Bills. Both drives ended with points, however, the offense wasn't able to find the endzone.

Still, Williams was able to lead two strong drives against the majority of the Bills' starting defense. His first big play came on an early 3rd-and-12 after firing a laser to DJ Moore for the first down. The next play, Williams connected with Swift for the big-gain on the screen pass.

The second drive started out backed up on the 3-yard line. After two runs by Khalil Herbert and a penalty to give the unit a first down, Williams found Moore again for 15-yard catch-and-run to give the offense some space to work with. Two plays later, Williams had his best play of the day after rolling out to his right, fooling the defense with a pump fake, and then finding tight end Cole Kmet in a tight window for a 26-yard competition. In the limited work, Williams' accuracy and ability to make throws from various arm angles was on display in a big way.

Starting Defense Picks Up Right Where They Left Off

After finishing the 2023 season as one of the top units in the league, the Bears had 10 of their 11 starters returning on the defensive side of the ball this offseason. Not everyone suited up on Saturday, but a good portion of them were able to, including safety Kevin Byard, the newest member of Matt Eberflus' defense. The unit got one strong quarter of work vs. the Bills' starting offense and quarterback Josh Allen.

On the first drive, the Bears defense forced a three-and-out with the defensive line stuffing two runs by Bills' running back James Cook. On the second drive, the Bills managed to march down the field after former Bears' first round pick Mitch Trubisky took over for Allen at quarterback.

Trubisky led the Bills inside the 10-yard line but the defense stood strong. Starting cornerback Jaylon Johnson nearly came away with an interception on second down until Bills' first round wide receiver Keon Coleman hit his arms from behind right when the ball got to him. Defensive linemen Dominque Robinson and Gervon Dexter Sr. impressed the most for the unit on the first two drives, each getting into the backfield and recording a tackle for a loss. Late in the second quarter, rookie pass rusher Austin Booker and second-year defensive tackle each recorded a sack, all of which is a great sign for the young players on the unit .