The Chicago Bears suffered a 27-9 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in their second preseason game Saturday night, as both teams used the matchup to evaluate key players and sharpen their preparations for the 2026 NFL season.
Chicago gave several starters their first preseason action after holding them out of the opener. Quarterback Caleb Williams and the first-team offense played just one possession, while much of the starting defense also saw limited snaps.
Caleb Williams Makes Preseason Debut
Williams made his 2026 preseason debut with a short but productive opening drive.
The Bears quarterback completed his first two passes, finding Rome Odunze for 18 yards and rookie tight end Colston Loveland for 10 yards. Chicago moved 33 yards on eight plays and reached the Bengals’ 17-yard line.
A holding penalty on left tackle Braxton Jones stalled the drive, and Williams missed his next three throws. The Bears ultimately settled for a 45-yard field goal by Cairo Santos to take a 3-0 lead.
Williams’ limited workload was expected as Chicago continued to manage its starters during the preseason.
Bengals Answer With Long Drive
Cincinnati responded with a 14-play, 62-yard possession that ended with Evan McPherson converting a 25-yard field goal.
With Joe Burrow sitting out, veteran Josh Johnson started at quarterback for the Bengals. He completed 7 of 10 passes for 55 yards on the scoring drive.
Most of Chicago’s starting defense then exited the game, although defensive linemen Dayo Odeyingbo and Gervon Dexter Sr. returned for another series.
Bears head coach Ben Johnson explained afterward that the starters played because they needed additional work after missing some practice opportunities during the week.
Case Keenum Leads Bears Offense
With backup quarterback Tyson Bagent sidelined by injury, Case Keenum replaced Williams.
Keenum helped Chicago regain the lead early in the second quarter. He connected with rookie tight end Sam Roush for a 26-yard completion, setting up another Santos field goal.
The 26-yard kick put the Bears ahead 6-3.
Cincinnati, however, soon took control of the game and began finding the end zone.
Bengals Take Command Before Halftime
Josh Johnson gave the Bengals their first touchdown when he threw a 17-yard scoring pass to Colbie Young with 4:25 remaining in the second quarter.
Cincinnati followed that score with another touchdown drive. Johnson connected with tight end Tanner Hudson for a 6-yard touchdown after a 63-yard march down the field.
The score gave the Bengals a 17-6 advantage with just 23 seconds left in the first half.
Chicago responded before halftime. Keenum hit JP Richardson for a 19-yard gain, and after stopping the clock with a spike, the Bears gave Santos an opportunity to kick.
Santos converted from 44 yards, completing his third field goal of the night and cutting Cincinnati’s lead to 17-9.
Cincinnati Pulls Away After Break
Keenum finished his outing with 9 completions on 17 attempts for 119 yards and a 75.4 passer rating. Miller Moss took over at quarterback for Chicago in the second half.
Cincinnati quickly extended its advantage.
Sean Clifford threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to Noah Thomas on the Bengals’ opening drive of the second half, pushing the score to 24-9.
McPherson then added a 58-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter, giving Cincinnati a 27-9 lead.
The Bears were unable to mount a comeback as the Bengals closed out the preseason victory.
Bears Defense Shows Promise Against the Run
One of the biggest positives for Chicago was its performance against the Bengals’ rushing attack.
The Bears limited Cincinnati to just 64 rushing yards on 20 carries, an average of 3.2 yards per attempt.
Chicago’s defensive players showed good communication and gap discipline, while the linebackers were effective at filling running lanes. The Bears also received solid tackling in space.
Defensive back Skylar Thomas added another positive moment by intercepting a Clifford pass at midfield.
Chicago could not turn the takeaway into points, however, as Santos missed a 53-yard field-goal attempt wide right.
Penalties and Third Downs Become Major Problems
The Bears’ biggest issues were penalties, third-down execution and red-zone efficiency.
Chicago committed 11 penalties during the game. The offense converted just 2 of 14 third-down opportunities, while the defense allowed Cincinnati to convert 6 of 13.
Those struggles repeatedly extended Bengals drives while preventing the Bears from sustaining their own possessions.
Chicago also failed to turn several promising opportunities into touchdowns. The Bears were able to move the football at times but settled for field goals instead of finishing drives in the end zone.
Against a Cincinnati team that capitalized on its scoring opportunities, those mistakes proved costly.
What the Bears Learned From the Loss
Although preseason results do not determine regular-season success, the game provided valuable information for Chicago’s coaching staff.
Williams received his first game reps of the preseason, Keenum gained additional experience, and several players competing for roster spots had opportunities to make their cases.
The Bears’ run defense stood out as a positive, while penalties and third-down efficiency remain areas that need immediate attention.
For Ben Johnson and his staff, the next step will be correcting those mistakes while continuing to evaluate the roster ahead of the regular season.
Bears vs Bengals Final Score
The Cincinnati Bengals defeated the Chicago Bears 27-9 in their 2026 preseason matchup.
Chicago scored three field goals through Cairo Santos but failed to reach the end zone. Cincinnati responded with three touchdowns and two field goals to pull away.
The loss gives the Bears plenty to work on, but the game also delivered some encouraging signs, particularly from the run defense and the first preseason appearance of Caleb Williams.
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