Weather. Games results. Things that can affect your mood? Sounds a bit like a game of $25,000 Pyramid.
The vibe at Soldier Field on Saturday ahead of Caleb Williams’ debut in front of the home crowd somewhat resembled a rollercoaster. The Bears’ first-team offense struggling against Cincinnati’s back-ups didn’t exactly inspire plenty of confidence through a scoreless first quarter.
But a healthy rebound from Caleb Williams, strong performance from Tyson Bagent, and a defensive gem for four quarters paired with the sun finding its way through the clouds at various points made for an overjoyed fan base packed inside of Soldier Field on Saturday.
Bears won big for the second time this preseason, but what stuck out in particular? Let’s take a look:
1. Kyler Gordon is back.
What led to Kyler Gordon’s hard-hitting performance on Saturday? “Reps.”
Gordon, who missed nearly three weeks with what was originally described as “tightness” returned to the practice field for a non-padded day last Tuesday. You wouldn’t have known he missed any camp watching him today.
The 24-year-old corner finished the afternoon with four tackles, but none as bone-jarring as an eight-yard sack in the first quarter on Bengals quarterback Logan Woodside.
Unblocked from the nickel, Gordon flew into the backfield undetected, whacking Woodside, riling up the home crowd that hadn’t been given much to cheer through two offensive drives.
Gordon said of the play, “It was a little surprising. I was waiting for [Woodside] to look. So, I was prepared for that and then he wasn’t looking.”
2. Turf monster rears ugly head.
It isn’t abnormal for Ryan Poles and Ian Cunningham to take laps around the field ahead of a game. But instead of getting in their steps, today’s hike just outside the sidelines had purpose: observing the quality and safety of the turf.
With patches galore due to two Metallica concerts at Soldier Field last weekend, speculation popped up ahead of Saturday’s contest about whether or not the starters would actually play.
Caleb Williams and the first-teamers didn’t suit up for the preseason-opening Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio on August 1 in part due to a lousy playing surface.
Saturday wasn’t much different, and heavy rainfall in the second half added an extra element. But the starters played — as promised — including Caleb Williams and the offensive line for the entire first half.
Teven Jenkins said, “I didn’t like it at all. It was a little slippery and then sticky in some spots.” When asked if he was frustrated with the surface, Jenkins said, “Above my paygrade.”
3. Caleb Williams is Caleb Williams.
Bears fans just got a little taste of the Caleb Williams experience last week in Buffalo. If anybody still doubts Williams’ talents and abilities after Saturday in Chicago, they’re lying.
Caleb showed off the deep ball and his pocket presence against the Bengals, but what was most impressive was his ability to rebound from a rough start.
The offense’s three consecutive three-and-outs set a nasty tone for an offense eyeing easy success against Cincinnati’s backups. When that didn’t happen, and the skill players took a seat for the rest of the day, Caleb found his rhythm. A bomb to Tyler Scott drew a 43-yard defensive pass interference penalty, and a 45-yard over-the-shoulder strike to Rome Odunze down the left sideline had Bears fans experiencing emotions they didn’t know were possible.
Caleb’s first touchdown in a Bears uniform came with less than two minutes remaining in the first half. Surveying his options, Williams kept his eyes downfield as he rolled left to vacate the pocket and avoid pressure. Without an open receiver, Teven Jenkins escorted Caleb into the end zone untouched for an easy 7-yard scramble.
The inspiration behind Williams’ wizardry, finding Odunze in stride from an unbalanced platform? “It’s something I’ve worked on in practice, watching Aaron Rodgers. Just practicing it over time. There will be days I don’t put it where I want, but today, it worked out.”
If it’s working, it doesn’t matter who he’s emulating.
