10 thoughts after the Chicago Bears, playing many offensive starters for the entire first half, rolled to a 27-3 preseason victory against the Cincinnati Bengals on Saturday afternoon at Soldier Field. Bears starters were going against backups — the Bengals had 34 players who did not participate — and the offense struggled from the first snap. Williams and the Bears went three-and-punt on the first three possessions into the second quarter.
Imagine what sports-talk radio would have been like this week had Eberflus called it a day for the starters after three possessions, a total of 16 yards, no first downs and a 2-for-6 day passing for Williams with an intentional-grounding penalty mixed in. Eberflus ran the starters back out for a fourth series, and rookie wide receiver Rome Odunze zipped around the left side for 16 yards on an end-around. On the next play Williams, off a play fake, fired deep for speedy wide receiver Tyler Scott, drawing a 43-yard pass-interference penalty on rookie cornerback Josh Newton, a fifth-round pick.
It came a series after Newton had made a nice play breaking up a well-placed slant throw for DJ Moore on third-and-2 to force the third punt from Tory Taylor . Scott very well would have hauled in the pass had Newton not pulled him down. If the ball was more toward his inside shoulder, he probably could have caught the pass running away from the cornerback and scored.
“I was a little hurt because I really wanted that (completion), to be honest wi.