Bengals backups hand Bears a humbling lesson they cannot ignore

Bengals backups hand Bears a humbling lesson they cannot ignore originally appeared on The Sporting News .

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The most concerning part of the Chicago Bears ’ 27-9 preseason loss was not the final margin.

It was the opposition responsible for it. Cincinnati rested Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and most of its starters Saturday night. Chicago still used quarterback Caleb Williams and several members of its first-team offense for the opening possession. The Bears’ starting defense also saw limited action.

The expected talent advantage never appeared. Instead, 40-year-old journeyman quarterback Josh Johnson completed 15 of 23 passes for 156 yards and two touchdowns as Cincinnati’s reserves built a comfortable lead. The Bears failed to score a touchdown, committed 11 penalties and converted only two of 14 third downs.

It was the type of preseason performance that deserves more than a dismissive shrug.

Cincinnati’s depth embarrassed Chicago

NFL teams use August to learn what is behind their starters. Cincinnati should feel encouraged by the answer. Chicago has more difficult questions.

Bengals rookie receiver Colbie Young scored on a 17-yard pass from Johnson, while Tanner Hudson added a six-yard touchdown reception. Sean Clifford later connected with Noah Thomas for Cincinnati’s third passing touchdown. Dohnte Meyers contributed five receptions for 41 yards, along with production in the return game, as several Bengals fighting for roster spots took advantage of Chicago’s reserves.

The Bears did produce a few individual highlights. Jahdae Walker made an impressive 36-yard reception, while Skyler Thomas recorded a diving interception in the second half.

Those moments were exceptions during a night controlled by Cincinnati. Chicago head coach Ben Johnson acknowledged the gap afterward.

“It’s a bad feeling in that locker room after the game when you lose, particularly like that when it’s down by multiple scores,” Johnson said during the Bears’ official postgame press conference . “You don’t feel like you made it very close there at the end.”

The Bears never did.

Roster bubble just became far less comfortable

The loss arrived at a particularly bad time for Chicago’s fringe players. Final roster decisions are approaching, and Johnson said the Bears have enough competition to make those choices difficult. Saturday’s performance also gave the coaching staff plenty of evidence to use when separating players.

Preseason games do not matter in the standings, but they can mean everything to someone battling for the 51st, 52nd or 53rd spot. A penalty can change a career. A failed third-down assignment can erase weeks of encouraging practices. A missed tackle against a Bengals reserve can become the final image a coach remembers before the roster is reduced.

That is the cruel reality of August football. Cincinnati’s bubble players competed as if their livelihoods depended on the game. Too many Bears looked as if the night were merely an obligation.

Johnson did not name individual offenders publicly, but he did not need to. Film review will expose every missed assignment, unnecessary penalty and lost matchup.

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Bears ’ depth could become a regular-season problem

The easy response is to say Chicago’s primary starters will play most of the snaps once the regular season begins. That is true. It is also incomplete.

No NFL team reaches January with only 22 players. Injuries force backups into important roles every week. Special teams are largely built from the middle and bottom of the roster. Division titles can be decided by whether a reserve cornerback survives one series or a backup offensive lineman avoids one catastrophic mistake.

Chicago saw last season how quickly depth can become essential. That makes the Cincinnati loss more than an ugly exhibition result. The Bengals offered the Bears a preview of what happens when the bottom half of a roster is outplayed.

Chicago has one final preseason game against Tennessee and a joint practice preceding it. For many players, that will be their last opportunity to change the story.

The Bears do not need to chase a meaningless preseason victory. They do need their reserves to play faster, cleaner and more urgently. Cincinnati’s backups just showed them what that looks like.

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