By: Marcus McCallum
CINCINNATI – After a convincing win against the Cleveland Browns. The Chicago Bears’ second preseason game was supposed to provide a clearer look at the team’s progress under head coach Ben Johnson. Instead, Saturday night’s 27-9 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals exposed a team that looked out of rhythm, undisciplined and unable to consistently execute. The preseason result itself is not especially important, but the way Chicago lost offered plenty for Johnson and his staff to evaluate before the regular season.
One of the most disappointing aspect, was the offense. Caleb Williams and the first-team offense played only the opening possession, which produced 33 yards on eight plays before Cairo Santos converted a 45-yard field goal. Williams finished 2-of-5 for 28 yards, making his appearance more of a brief tune-up than a meaningful evaluation. Still, the opening drive lacked the explosiveness and rhythm that had made Chicago’s preseason opener so encouraging.
Once Williams left, the offense never found a consistent identity. Case Keenum completed 9 of 17 passes for 119 yards, while rookie Miller Moss went 13-of-21 for 103 yards and added five rushing yards. Maurice Alexander led the Bears with five catches for 60 yards, and Jahdae Walker supplied the longest offensive play with a 36-yard reception. Those numbers provided individual positives, but they never translated into sustained scoring opportunities. Roschon Johnson was arguably the brightest offensive spot. He carried 12 times for 42 yards and added a reception, giving Chicago a dependable presence on the ground. Salvon Ahmed also made a case for himself with 36 rushing yards on six attempts and three catches for 14 yards. The problem was that the Bears could not consistently convert production into points. The statistical profile explains the frustration. Chicago gained 322 total yards after producing 430 against Cleveland. Chicago converted only 2 of 14 third downs and went 1-for-3 on fourth down. Even more troubling was the discipline: The Bears committed 11 penalties for 81 yards after being flagged only twice in the preseason opener. Those mistakes repeatedly put the offense behind the chains and made an already uneven performance more difficult to overcome.
The defense had its own problems, with the 40 year old journeyman Josh Johnson leading the way for Cincinnati. Johnson commanded a 67 yards drive against Chicago first defensive unit. Then proceeded to throw two touchdown in the second quarter. Johnson finished 15 of 23 for 156 yards plus a pair of touchdown to finish the first half. Although there were some encouraging signs. Chicago held Cincinnati to only 64 rushing yards on 20 attempts, an impressive 3.2 yards per carry. However, the Bengals attacked effectively through the air, throwing for 282 yards and three touchdowns. The Bears also failed to record a sack, limiting their ability to disrupt Cincinnati’s quarterbacks. Leaving even more questions than answers about the defensive line. There were individual defensive highlights. Rookie safety Skyler Thomas intercepted a pass, giving Chicago the game’s only takeaway. Linebackers Wayne Matthews III and Ruben Hyppolite II each recorded seven tackles, while Dontae Manning finished with five tackles and three passes defended. Those performances could matter considerably as roster decisions approach.
Special teams were similarly mixed. Santos converted three of four field-goal attempts, missing from 53 yards, while Tory Taylor averaged 51.8 yards on six punts. Yet the overall performance still felt disjointed, reinforcing the larger theme of the night: Chicago struggled to play clean, complementary football.
The final score should not trigger panic. This is preseason, and the Bears deliberately limited many starters. But the performance does provide a useful warning. The first preseason game against Cleveland demonstrated what this roster can look like when execution is sharp; Cincinnati demonstrated how quickly that promise can disappear when penalties, missed opportunities and inconsistent execution pile up.
For Johnson, the priority now is obvious: clean up the mistakes, improve third-down efficiency and determine which reserve players can be trusted when the regular season arrives. The Bears have one preseason game remaining, and Saturday’s flat performance should make that final evaluation considerably more important. Fox Sports 1410 WRMN Da Bears