The Buffalo Bills suffered a 38-0 loss to the Chicago Bears in a preseason game, a result that head coach Sean McDermott described as an opportunity for evaluation and improvement. “We got to look at it, figure some things out, and evaluate some of the guys as well, and see where we stand. And we have a lot of work to get done this week as we move forward,” McDermott said.
The Bears took an early lead with quarterback Caleb Williams connecting with wide receiver Olamide Zaccheaus for a 36-yard touchdown on the opening drive. The Bills’ offense struggled, punting on their first five drives while Chicago scored touchdowns on four of their first five possessions.
Offensive lineman Ryan Van Demark addressed how the team should respond to the defeat as they prepare for Week 1. “The only thing you can really do is go back, watch the film, understand what you messed up on, and don’t let it happen again,” Van Demark said.
Despite performing well in a joint practice earlier in the week, the Bills could not carry that momentum into Sunday’s game. Safety Cole Bishop returned from a quad injury to play in the first quarter and emphasized that players are working hard behind the scenes. “That’s one thing the media doesn’t see. Everyone’s worried about what we’re doing, and we’re doing everything we can. We’re doing extra walk-throughs with our coaches. The coaches know that we’re spending time together in the offseason. We’re here all summer, all winter. We’re just trying to build that bond and continue to be ready when the time comes,” Bishop stated.
Rookie defensive tackle Deone Walker contributed multiple quarterback pressures during his second NFL preseason game and discussed adapting to professional football’s speed. “It’s a lot faster,” Walker said of playing in the NFL compared to college football in the SEC. “Even in the SEC — I thought that was fast when I first got there. It’s just a different level, learning formations, knowing what people do, learning how to talk on the defensive line, that’s been a big one for me.”
Walker also reflected on how adversity revealed team character during Sunday’s loss: “I felt like it showed people’s true colors. I’m glad to say, from the rookies to the vets they were still out there cheering, and cheering each other on, cheering me on, cheering our other rookies and other guys. It showed no matter what we are going to fight.”
McDermott outlined his approach for preparing for their next preseason matchup against Tampa Bay: “We’ve got to make sure we go back to the fundamentals of the game … I’m concerned about a lot of things coming off tonight, we got to look at the film and just see who we have, who can help us, what we may need, and then also things that we can just do better, execution-wise, fundamentally those things. So there’s a lot that needs to get cleaned.”
The Bills will play their final preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on August 23.
