When the Chicago Bears faced the Cincinnati Bengals on August 17, 2024, at Soldier Field, fans saw an exciting display of football talent. The Bears won 27-3 in this preseason matchup, showing strong performances across the board. Let’s look at the key player statistics and what made this game special.
Game Overview
The Bears dominated this preseason contest, finishing with a comfortable 27-3 victory. Chicago improved to 3-0 in preseason play, while Cincinnati fell to 0-2. The game took place on a rainy afternoon in Chicago, which added an extra challenge for both teams.
Quarterback Performance
Chicago Bears Quarterbacks
Caleb Williams, the number one overall pick, made his first appearance at Soldier Field as a Bear. The rookie quarterback completed 6 of 13 passes for 75 yards. While his completion rate wasn’t perfect, Williams showed flashes of the talent that made him the top pick. His most impressive play was a 45-yard completion to fellow rookie Rome Odunze along the left sideline.
Williams also used his legs effectively, rushing for 7 yards and scoring a touchdown. On third down, he spun away from two defenders and ran into the end zone, showing the mobility that makes him special. The young quarterback finished with a passer rating of 64.6.
Tyson Bagent came in during the second half and had an excellent performance. He completed 7 of 8 passes for 87 yards and threw two touchdown passes to Dante Pettis. Bagent’s passer rating of 151.6 was the highest among all quarterbacks in the game.
Cincinnati Bengals Quarterbacks
The Bengals rested their starter Joe Burrow, and backup Jake Browning was out with a rib injury. Logan Woodside started the game and completed 17 of 25 passes for 132 yards. However, he threw two interceptions, which hurt Cincinnati’s chances. His passer rating was 47.4.
Rocky Lombardi took over late in the third quarter and completed 4 of 8 passes for 33 yards with a passer rating of 60.9.
Running Game Statistics
Chicago Bears Running Backs
Khalil Herbert led the Bears’ ground attack with 5 carries for 31 yards, averaging 6.2 yards per carry. His longest run went for 21 yards.
Rookie receiver Rome Odunze also contributed to the running game with a 16-yard run on an end-around play. This helped set up a field goal for Chicago.
The Bears rushed for 90 total yards on 24 carries, averaging 3.8 yards per attempt.
Cincinnati Bengals Running Backs
Noah Cain was Cincinnati’s leading rusher with 8 carries for 28 yards. Trayveon Williams added 6 carries for 22 yards, averaging 3.7 yards per carry.
The Bengals managed only 82 rushing yards on 25 attempts, averaging 3.3 yards per carry.
Receiving Leaders
Chicago Bears Receivers
Dante Pettis had the best receiving day for Chicago, catching 3 passes for 53 yards and two touchdowns. Both of his scores came from Tyson Bagent in the second half.
Rome Odunze, the ninth overall pick in the draft, made his presence felt with just one catch, but it was a big one. His 45-yard reception from Caleb Williams was the longest play of the game and showed the connection these two rookies are building.
Freddie Swain caught one pass for 25 yards, while Brenden Bates added a 23-yard reception.
Cincinnati Bengals Receivers
Kwamie Lassiter II led the Bengals with 5 receptions for 33 yards on 7 targets. Jermaine Burton, Trayveon Williams, and Tanner McLachlan each caught 2 passes for 19 yards.
The Bengals caught 21 passes for 165 yards total, averaging 7.9 yards per catch.
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Defensive Standouts
Chicago Bears Defense
The Bears’ defense was excellent throughout the game. Amen Ogbongbemiga made a crucial interception deep in Chicago territory that stopped a Bengals drive. He finished with 6 total tackles and forced a fumble.
Kyler Gordon recorded a sack and had 4 total tackles with one quarterback hit. Daniel Hardy also had a sack and recorded 4 tackles with two tackles for loss.
Terell Smith picked off a pass and returned it 19 yards. The Bears’ defense recorded two interceptions and two sacks while holding Cincinnati to just three points.
Cincinnati Bengals Defense
Maema Njongmeta led the Bengals with 8 total tackles, including 7 solo stops and one tackle for loss.
Kris Jenkins Jr. recorded Cincinnati’s only sack of the game along with one tackle for loss and a quarterback hit.
The Bengals’ defense struggled to contain the Bears, allowing 299 total yards.
Special Teams Performance
Kicking
Cairo Santos was perfect for Chicago, making both field goal attempts (with a long of 51 yards) and all three extra points.
Evan McPherson made his only field goal attempt for Cincinnati, a 54-yard kick at the end of the first half.
Punting
Tory Taylor averaged 50 yards on his three punts for Chicago, with a long of 57 yards.
Ryan Rehkow punted six times for Cincinnati, averaging 46.2 yards with a long of 56 yards.
Team Statistics Comparison
The Bears outgained the Bengals 299 yards to 226 yards. However, Cincinnati was better on third down, converting 7 of 15 attempts while Chicago only converted 2 of 10.
Chicago was more disciplined, being penalized just 4 times for 38 yards. The Bengals were flagged 11 times for 123 yards, which hurt their chances throughout the game.
The Bears controlled the ball for 26 minutes and 29 seconds, while Cincinnati had possession for 33 minutes and 31 seconds. Despite having the ball longer, the Bengals couldn’t capitalize on their opportunities.
Key Takeaways
This game showed several important things for both teams. For Chicago, the connection between Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze looks promising for the future. While Williams had a slow start, he showed the ability to make big plays when needed.
The Bears’ defense played well, creating two turnovers and limiting Cincinnati to just one field goal. Their ability to stop drives in key situations was impressive.
For Cincinnati, playing without their starting quarterback made things difficult. The backup quarterbacks struggled with accuracy and decision-making, leading to two costly interceptions.
The Bears’ depth showed up again in this game. They outscored opponents 55-3 in second-half action across all three preseason games, which speaks to the quality of players throughout their roster.
Looking Ahead
Preseason games help teams evaluate players and build chemistry before the regular season begins. For the Bears, seeing Williams and Odunze connect on a big play was encouraging. Williams’ ability to escape pressure and make plays with his legs adds another dimension to Chicago’s offense.
The Bengals will want to see improvement once their starters return. With Joe Burrow back under center, their offense should look much different than it did in this preseason matchup.
Both teams learned valuable lessons from this game that will help them prepare for the challenges of the regular season ahead.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Who won the Bears vs Bengals game?
The Chicago Bears won the game 27-3 on August 17, 2024, at Soldier Field.
2. How did Caleb Williams perform in his Soldier Field debut?
Caleb Williams completed 6 of 13 passes for 75 yards and rushed for a 7-yard touchdown. His highlight was a 45-yard pass to Rome Odunze.
3. Did Joe Burrow play in this game?
No, the Bengals rested starter Joe Burrow, and backup Jake Browning was out with a rib injury.
4. Who was the leading receiver for the Bears?
Dante Pettis led Chicago with 3 catches for 53 yards and two touchdowns.
5. How many yards did the Bears gain in total?
The Bears recorded 299 total yards compared to Cincinnati’s 226 yards.
6. Who had the longest play of the game?
Caleb Williams’ 45-yard pass to Rome Odunze was the longest play from scrimmage in the game.
7. How many interceptions did the Bears defense record?
The Bears’ defense intercepted two passes, one by Amen Ogbongbemiga and one by Terell Smith.
8. What was the score at halftime?
The Bears led 10-3 at halftime after a slow start by both teams.
9. Who kicked the longest field goal?
Evan McPherson of the Bengals made a 54-yard field goal, slightly longer than Cairo Santos’ 51-yarder for Chicago.
10. Was this a regular season or preseason game?
This was a preseason game, the second week of preseason action for both teams.
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