Caleb Williams, Bears sharp in preseason win over Bills

Chicago Bears fans finally got their first look at Caleb Williams in action on Saturday and they had to be excited.

The No. 1 overall pick played the first two drives of Saturday’s preseason game against the Buffalo Bills, leading to two field goals for the Bears.

He finished 4-of-7 for 108 yards and a 101.8 passer rating, not throwing any touchdowns or interceptions, but he looked good.

Williams looked poised, in control of the offense and flashed the talent that makes scouts and Bears fans drool and dream big.

That included a slick connection with Cole Kmet while scrambling to his right, and he also took off once, running for 13 yards before sliding to the ground — exactly what the Bears want to see out of their franchise QB.

Saturday was the second preseason game for the Bears (even though starters didn’t play in the Hall of Fame Game) and the first for the Bills, and it showed. Chicago, overall, looked sharp and played well, but here are a couple other key takeaways from the 33-6 win over the Bills.

V12, the new RB

Head coach Matt Eberflus just announced this week that the team is trying wide receiver Velus Jones Jr. at running back to make use of his athleticism. If Saturday was playing a big role in whether or not that experiment will continue, expect to see Jones there more going forward.

The 27-year-old looked very nice, racking up 34 yards and a touchdown on six carries.

He has more to learn, like pass protection, and definitely needs more experience, but his flashes certainly indicate the Bears may have finally found a role for the former third-round pick.

Tory Taylor, the weapon

The Bears were very clear about their intention to improve on special teams when they spent a fourth-round draft pick on punter Tory Taylor, but he looks worth it so far.

Taylor had two punts on Saturday, totaling 96 yards, but both were really nicely placed.

His coverage let him down a bit on the first one, as they both should’ve been pinned inside the 20, but he made sure his punt wouldn’t be returned the second time.

With good coverage, Taylor really looks like he could be a weapon for the Bears this season.

Mixed bag from depth defenders

The defense also had a handful of good moments in Saturday’s game, with several young players flashing.

Rookie fifth-round pick Austin Booker had several reps again, totaling three tackles and 1.5 sacks. Khalid Kareem and Daniel Hardy also showed up, with Hardy also collecting 1.5 sacks.

If there was a negative, it’s that several other young guys the Bears are hoping to see take a step forward didn’t do a whole lot once again.

Zacch Pickens had a couple good plays and Micah Baskerville had a pick-six, but didn’t flash much besides those three or four plays, and Dominique Robinson once again was nearly invisible.

With preseason now half over for the Bears, that group still trying to earn a spot is running out of time.

Chicago is back in action next Saturday at noon against the Cincinnati Bengals.

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