Seen enough of rookie quarterback Caleb Williams?
It will be an interesting call for Bears coach Matt Eberflus and offensive coordinator Shane Waldron after Williams looked like an established veteran Saturday against the Bills.
In the bubble-wrap mentality of the NFL preseason these days, Williams making a couple of ‘‘special’’ throws and avoiding rookie mistakes might have been all the confirmation Eberflus and Waldron needed to see before the regular-season opener Sept. 8 against the Titans.
As much as Eberflus values cross-over practices, it’s possible Williams’ snaps in practice Thursday against the Bengals will count toward the goal to get him 45 to 55 snaps in the preseason before heading on to Week 1.
Last year, the Bears had two cross-over practices before playing the Colts in the preseason, and only one starter played in the game (cornerback Tyrique Stevenson). This year, it’s only one cross-over against the Bengals, and Eberflus indicated last week it was possible Williams and other starters might play.
But that was before Williams’ impressive debut against the Bills (and before Bengals coach Zac Taylor announced his starters won’t play Saturday at Soldier Field). After Williams’ performance against the Bills, Bears fans are ready to fast-forward to Sept. 8. It wouldn’t be surprising if Eberflus and Waldron have a similar mentality regarding Williams’ preparedness for that moment. A good quarterback — or one who looks as legitimate as Williams did against the Bills — makes a big difference.
2. Williams, who seems to be a particularly astute observer and listener, probably could learn as much from being in the realm of Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow as anything this week. Burrow, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 draft, was the 10th-ranked quarterback among the NFL’s top 100 players for 2024, but only Patrick Mahomes (15-3) has a better playoff record among active QBs.
Burrow is 5-2 in the postseason and is the only quarterback other than Tom Brady to beat Mahomes in a playoff game, winning 27-24 in overtime in the AFC Championship Game in 2022.
If you want to know what makes an ‘‘it’’ factor quarterback tick, Burrow stands behind only Mahomes as the guy you want to talk to.
3. Though training camp seems as though it has been going on forever, it ends quickly. The Bears have only 10 practices left before Week 1.
So availability will be worth watching this week against the Bengals. Defensive end Montez Sweat has missed the last six practices and was one of six starters — four on defense — who didn’t play against the Bills.
Cornerback Kyler Gordon has missed almost all of camp (13 of 15 practices). Safety Jaquan Brisker (five practices) and Stevenson (six) also have missed extended time. On offense, neither guard Nate Davis (nine practices) nor his replacement, Ryan Bates, played against the Bills. Bates left practice late Thursday.
The Bears’ defense was never whole in camp last year, with linebacker Tremaine Edmunds, Brisker and defensive end DeMarcus Walker missing extended time, plus defensive end Yannick Ngakoue getting acclimated after signing late. The defense was at full strength for Week 1 but wasn’t very good, allowing 31 points against Jordan Love and the Packers in the opener and an average of 29 points through the Bears’ 0-4 start.
4. For What It’s Worth Department: The last time the Bears settled for field goals on their first two drives, they trailed the Giants 7-6 in 2022. On Saturday, they led 6-0. Perhaps it’s not that pertinent in the preseason, but it’s a reminder that an improved defense is expected to give Williams a little more margin in his developmental stage. Justin Fields didn’t have that.
And even Fields eventually was a beneficiary. In their first 21 games under Eberflus, the Bears were 2-8 when they scored 20 or more points because they allowed 29.9 points per game. In the final 13 games of last season, they were 5-1 when scoring 20 or more points, with the defense allowing 18.2 points per game.
5. Rookie Austin Booker’s 2.5 sacks against backup quarterbacks were typical of the preseason: a shared sack when the Bills left him free after an apparent miscommunication, one against chipping tight end Zach Davidson and the last one against undrafted fourth-string rookie Gunner Britton.
But it might not be the fool’s gold that it often is during the preseason. Booker is still a raw prospect who played only 18 games in college, but his skills are translating to the NFL even in an unrefined state.
‘‘He’s maybe a little bit ahead, but he is what I thought he was going to be,’’ defensive line coach Travis Smith said. ‘‘[He was] a little bit undisciplined, but those O-linemen were having trouble with him. Obviously, it’s a different level here, but some of the same things he was winning on in college he’s winning on right now.’’
6. Don’t sleep on second-year defensive tackle Zacch Pickens, a third-round pick in 2023 (No. 64 overall) who has been in the shadow of Gervon Dexter since they were drafted 11 spots apart. But Pickens has made progress, as well.
Pickens beat backup center Alec Anderson to sack Bills quarterback Mitch Trubisky on the final play of the first half Saturday. He also beat a double team to stop running back Ray Davis for no gain.
‘‘I’m way better than I was when I was a rookie,’’ said Pickens, who played an average of 15.5 snaps last season. ‘‘I understand the game, what’s going on. It slowed down. The game’s coming to me now. I’m knowing when it’s pass and when it’s run this year. Last year, my eyes were everywhere; I was looking at too much. Now I’m just focused on one thing, and that’s my key.’’
7. By the numbers: The average drive after a kickoff in the first week of the preseason started just shy of the receiving team’s 29-yard line. (That average doesn’t include the Chiefs’ Mecole Hardman downing a kickoff a yard into the end zone for an inadvertent safety because of confusion about the new kickoff rule.) Last season, the average drive after a kickoff started between the 25- and 26-yard lines. A touchback brings the ball out to the 30.
Only two of 127 kickoffs last weekend were returned into an opponent’s territory: The Jaguars’ Parker Washington had a
73-yard return to the Chiefs’ 20 and the Titans’ Kearis Jackson had a 63-yard return to the 49ers’ 30.
The Jaguars averaged 41.5 yards per return, with Washington’s 73-yarder and Tank Bigsby returning a free kick 45 yards after Hardman’s mishap.
8. Rookie QB rankings: 1. Williams, Bears (101.8 passer rating vs. Bills); 2. Bo Nix, Broncos (102.3 vs. Colts); 3. J.J. McCarthy, Vikings (116.8 vs. Raiders); 4. Joe Milton, Patriots (134.7 vs. Panthers); 5. Jayden Daniels, Commanders (109.7 vs. Jets); 6. Michael Pratt, Packers (89.0 vs. Browns); 7. Michael Penix, Falcons (76.0 vs. Dolphins); 8. Drake Maye, Patriots (84.0 vs. Panthers); 9. Spencer Rattler, Saints (63.4 vs. Cardinals); 10. Devin Leary, Ravens (67.5 vs. Eagles).
9. Ex-Bears Player of the Week: Steelers quarterback Justin Fields, starting in place of Russell Wilson (ramping up after an injury), completed 5 of 6 passes for 67 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions for a 113.2 passer rating Friday against the Texans. He also rushed three times for two yards, was sacked twice and botched two snaps.
10. Bear-ometer — 10-7: vs. Titans (W); at Texans (L); at Colts (W); vs. Rams (L); vs. Panthers (W); vs. Jaguars in London (L); at Commanders (W); at Cardinals (W); vs. Patriots (W); vs. Packers (W); vs. Vikings (W); at Lions (L); at 49ers (L); at Vikings (L); vs. Lions (W); vs. Seahawks (W); at Packers (L).