Tag: Chicago Bears vs. Buffalo Bills

6 takeaways from the Bears’ 24-21 preseason loss to the Bills

From a murky backup quarterback competition to Trevis Gipson’s trade request, here are our takeaways from Saturday’s Bears preseason loss.

Just as quickly as it started, the 2023 NFL preseason has come to a close for the Chicago Bears. They wrapped up their finale against the Buffalo Bills at Soldier Field but fell 24-21 to finish the preseason 1-2, their first losing record in August since 2019.

Saturday’s game had a bit more juice to it, however, as both teams played their starters on offense and defense to begin the game. Bears quarterback Justin Fields struggled out of the gate while Bills quarterback Josh Allen drove his team downfield on their first drive to put seven points on the board. Backup quarterback Kyle Allen also orchestrated multiple scoring drives on the Bears backup defense.

On offense, Bears backup quarterback Tyson Bagenet once again used his legs to find the endzone, and Cairo Santos netted a pair of field goals throughout the day. The Bears clawed their way back to keep things close thanks to a touchdown pass from P.J. Walker later in the game, but never held a lead the entire day.

With the preseason now in the books, it’s about time to turn our focus to the regular season, but there were still things to take away from the final dress rehearsal. Here are our takeaways from Saturday’s preseason loss.

Bears vs. Bills: Everything we know about Chicago’s 24-21 loss

The Bears dropped their preseason finale to the Buffalo Bills. Here’s everything we know about the loss.

The 2023 preseason is officially in the books for the Chicago Bears following their 24-21 loss to the Buffalo Bills. The Bears were down from the start after the Bills, with quarterback Josh Allen, took their opening possession 72 yards on 12 plays to get a touchdown. Chicago never led in the game, but did cut the deficit a few times.

The Bears got touchdowns from backup quarterbacks Tyson Bagent and P.J. Walker while Cairo Santos converted all three field goal attempts. Bills backup quarterback Kyle Allen, however, kept the Bears at bay as he led three scoring drives of his own. But the Bears wouldn’t go away easy.

Walker’s touchdown to Robert Burns late in the fourth quarter and a two-point conversion got the Bears within three, but it wasn’t enough as the Bills chewed up clock to ice the game. The Bears finished the preseason 1-2, their first losing preseason since 2019.

Here is everything we know about Chicago’s preseason loss.

WATCH: Bears QB Tyson Bagent rushes for TD vs. Bills

The undrafted rookie is making plays with his legs for the second preseason game in a row.

Another preseason game, another spectacular rushing touchdown from Chicago Bears quarterback Tyson Bagent. The undrafted rookie out of Shepherd continues to turn heads this preseason and relieved Justin Fields as QB2 to start the second quarter against the Buffalo Bills. A few possessions later, he led the Bears to their first touchdown drive of the day on an eight-yard run.

Bagent and the Bears orchestrated a drive that spanned nine plays and 42 yards. Just like last week against the Indianapolis Colts, Bagent and rookie running back Roschon Johnson were the catalysts for the drive. Johnson’s 11-yard screen pass from Bagent on fourth down kept the chains moving, and a few plays later, the quarterback scrambled for another first down before doing it again to get the touchdown.

The rushing score was Bagent’s second of the preseason, as he continues to make a case to be the team’s primary backup. He followed that drive with a near touchdown pass to tight end Stephen Carlson that was dropped before getting intercepted. Bagent finished the first half going 4-of-10 for 18 yards and an interception.

At halftime, the Bears trail the Bills 17-10.

WATCH: Bears rookie CB Tyrique Stevenson comes down with INT vs. Bills

The Bears rookie missed out on interception opportunities earlier in the preseason, but not this week.

Last week, Chicago Bears rookie cornerback Tyrique Stevenson let an interception go right through his hands for a touchdown against the Indianapolis Colts. The week before, he missed another one against the Tennessee Titans. He said he wasn’t going to let that happen again and backed that up on Saturday.

In the final preseason game against the Buffalo Bills, Stevenson came away with his first professional interception. On Buffalo’s second possession, backup quarterback Kyle Allen was driving the offense downfield and looked towards the left sideline on a deep pass to Gabe Davis. Stevenson had tight coverage and looked back for the ball just in time to get a pick and stay in bounds at the same time.

Stevenson was drafted by the Bears in the second round out of Miami (FL) and became the favorite to start opposite Jaylon Johnson at the boundary corner position earlier in the summer. He’s had an up-and-down preseason with penalties and missed chances, but he made the most of that opportunity and gave the ball back to the offense.

The turnover allowed Justin Fields and the offense to move downfield, thanks to a huge catch and run by D.J. Moore. The Bears got a field goal out of it and trail 7-3 in the second quarter.

8 Bears players to watch in preseason finale vs. Bills

Here are eight players we’ll be watching for when the Bears take on the Bills in Saturday’s preseason finale.

Just as quickly as it started, the 2023 NFL preseason finale is already here for the Chicago Bears, meaning the regular season isn’t far away. The Bears take on the Buffalo Bills on Saturday at noon CT at Soldier Field in a game that will serve as a tune-up for both teams.

Bears head coach Matt Eberflus announced that the starters on offense and defense who are healthy will see action, including Justin Fields. Head coach Sean McDermott of the Bills is doing the same with his team before giving way to the reserves.

Saturday’s contest will be the final chance for many players to make their case for why they deserve a spot on the final roster. But it’s also an opportunity to see the starters get game action since most of them sat out last week’s preseason game against the Colts. Here are eight players to keep an eye on when the Bears and Bills kick off.

Bears starters, including Justin Fields, to play in preseason finale vs. Bills

Justin Fields and other starters will see a “selected number of plays” before being pulled this weekend, according to Matt Eberflus

The Chicago Bears are using Saturday’s preseason finale against the Buffalo Bills as an opportunity for their starters to get some work in. Head coach Matt Eberflus met with reporters on Thursday afternoon and confirmed the starters on offense and defense who are healthy will play on Saturday. The coach did not give a definitive answer for how long they will play, but will see a “selected number of plays” before being pulled.

Last year, Eberflus and the Bears coaching staff played the starters for the entire first half of their preseason finale against the Cleveland Browns, including Justin Fields. Eberflus wouldn’t confirm if that would be the case again, but it will be a good opportunity for the starters to get one final tune-up before the regular season begins.

Fields and the starting offense only played seven snaps in the team’s first preseason game against the Tennessee Titans, while the defense saw 12 snaps on just one drive. The vast majority of the starters sat out last weekend’s game against the Indianapolis Colts, primarily due to the joint practices the two teams had a few days prior.

While it remains to be seen how long the starters play, fans will be excited to see them get some run before the backups take over. From there, it will only be two weeks until the regular season officially begins against the Green Bay Packers.

The Bears and Bills kick off from Soldier Field at noon CT.

Bears announce dates and times for 2023 preseason games

Mark your calendars for the Bears preseason games this summer.

Last week, the Chicago Bears unveiled their regular season schedule with dates and times finalized. Now it’s time for the preseason slate.

The Bears announced the dates and times for their three preseason games against the Tennessee Titans, Indianapolis Colts, and Buffalo Bills. Each game will take place on a Saturday in August, leading up to the regular season opener against the Green Bay Packers.

It will be the second time in three years that the Bears face the Titans and Bills in the preseason. Meanwhile, the Bears travel to Indianapolis to take on the Colts for the first time in an exhibition game since 2019 when quarterback Andrew Luck made his shocking retirement announcement. It will also be the first time head coach Matt Eberflus returns to Indianapolis since he was hired by the Bears. He spent 2018-2021 as the team’s defensive coordinator.

Here are the dates and times of each Bears preseason game this year.

6 takeaways from the Bears’ cold loss to the Bills

From Khalil Herbert’s surprising ineffectiveness to Kyler Gordon’s strong outing, here are out takeaways from the Bears’ loss to the Bills.

It hasn’t exactly been a December to remember if you’re a Chicago Bears fan. Despite having all their games this month at home in Soldier Field, they lost all three of their games, the latest coming against the Buffalo Bills 35-13 in frigid conditions. It was their most lopsided loss of the season as the Bears dropped eight straight games to fall to 3-12 on the season.

The offense failed to establish the run game, leading to major problems moving the ball and getting into a rhythm. The defense, meanwhile, couldn’t stop the Bills from running all over them and a close game at halftime turned into a blowout.

With injuries piling up and only two games to go, many are looking forward to the end of the season. And having to endure the bitter cold in a lost season on top of it, should this game simply go straight into the trash? Here are our takeaways from the Bears’ Christmas Eve loss.

5 bold predictions for Bears vs. Bills

From Khalil Herbert’s strong return to a big game from N’Keal Harry, here are our bold predictions for Bears vs. Bills.

The Chicago Bears will be spending Christmas at their home stadium Soldier Field, eagerly awaiting the big man in red to arrive. No, not Santa Claus, but Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills for a Christmas Eve showdown in the frigid elements.

After taking on the NFC’s best in the Philadelphia Eagles last week, they get a turn with one of the AFC’s best in the Bills, who are looking to keep their spot as the top seed with the playoffs just around the corner. The Bears, meanwhile, are playing for pride, development, and even draft at this point as the season draws closer to an end.

With temperatures likely in the single digits come kickoff, this game could become a battle of attrition. But that doesn’t mean we won’t see some impressive individual performances either. Here are our bold predictions for Bears vs. Bills.

Bears Week 16 injury report: Chase Claypool DNP on Wednesday

Here’s a look at the Bears and Bills’ injury reports following Wednesday’s practice:

The Chicago Bears released their second injury report of the week and a couple of players were downgraded after yesterday’s walkthrough practice. Wide receiver Chase Claypool (knee) and guard Teven Jenkins (neck) both did not practice after being listed as limited on Tuesday.

The rest of the injury report hasn’t changed much, with guard Cody Whitehair (knee), cornerback Kindle Vildor (ankle), wide receiver Equanimeous St. Brown (concussion), and tight end Tevon Wesco (calf) all still not practicing.

Here is the complete injury report for the Bears and Bills following Wednesday’s practice.