A Brief Look at the Future
After sitting out the preseason opener, Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears' starters finally saw the field on Saturday night at Paycor Stadium. While the final scoreboard showed a 27-9 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, the primary objective was evaluating the No. 1 offense in live action. Williams and the starting unit played only the opening possession of the game, providing a brief but significant glimpse into the chemistry developing under head coach Ben Johnson and the offensive staff [Game Recap: Bears fall to Bengals in second preseason game](https://www.chicagobears.com/news/game-recap-bears-fall-to-bengals-in-second-preseason-game).
Key Storylines
The opening drive saw Williams lead the offense on an eight-play, 33-yard march that reached the Bengals' 17-yard line. Williams completed 2 of 5 passes for 28 yards during the stint, showcasing early connections with his top targets. He found rookie receiver Rome Odunze for an 18-yard gain and connected with tight end Colston Loveland for 10 yards [Game Recap: Bears fall to Bengals in second preseason game](https://www.chicagobears.com/news/game-recap-bears-fall-to-bengals-in-second-preseason-game). However, the drive stalled following a holding penalty on left tackle Braxton Jones, forcing the Bears to settle for a 45-yard field goal by Cairo Santos [Bears kick FG in QB Caleb Williams' only drive vs. Bengals - Chicago Sun-Times](http://chicago.suntimes.com/bears/2026/08/22/bears-bengals-qb-caleb-williams-starts-preseason-game).
Player Spotlight
Despite the limited sample size, the efficiency of the first-team unit was a point of emphasis. Williams misfired on his final three throws of the drive, including a miscommunication with Odunze and an overthrow to Loveland near the goal line [Bears kick FG in QB Caleb Williams' only drive vs. Bengals - Chicago Sun-Times](http://chicago.suntimes.com/bears/2026/08/22/bears-bengals-qb-caleb-williams-starts-preseason-game). Coach Ben Johnson has publicly set high standards for his young quarterback, aiming for a 70% completion rate as the unit continues to refine its timing ahead of the regular season [Bears kick FG in QB Caleb Williams' only drive vs. Bengals - Chicago Sun-Times](http://chicago.suntimes.com/bears/2026/08/22/bears-bengals-qb-caleb-williams-starts-preseason-game).
Looking Ahead
The Bears now turn their attention to a final week of preparation, which includes a scheduled joint practice against the Tennessee Titans. Williams expressed confidence that the offense will be "rolling" by the time the regular season kicks off on September 13 in Carolina [Caleb Williams believes Bears offense will be 'rolling' heading into regular season](https://www.chicagobears.com/news/chicago-bears-2025-offensive-line-preview). Whether the starters play in the final preseason game will depend on the progress made during the upcoming joint sessions as the team seeks to build momentum for the 2026 campaign [Caleb Williams breaks down his preseason debut vs. Bengals and explains what went wrong during his lone drive](https://atozsports.com/nfl/chicago-bears-news/bears-caleb-williams-breaks-down-preseason-debut-vs-bengals-ben-johnson/).
