Buffalo Bills fell to the Chicago Bears 38-0 in their second preseason game on Sunday night at Soldier Field. The team, which had shown promise during a joint practice with the Bears days earlier, struggled throughout the matchup as they rested most of their starters.
Head coach Sean McDermott addressed the team’s performance after the game, noting the contrast between Friday’s practice and Sunday’s outcome. “Playing against their ones I expect, we expect to compete with them — and that wasn’t the case early,” McDermott said before adding “it didn’t get much better” once Chicago’s starting units departed.
McDermott explained his decision to rest key players, citing confidence gained from recent practices. “I thought we made some momentum coming off that practice which I thought was a good practice for us. Tonight however, not even close,” he said. “I was looking forward to seeing some guys with the opportunity tonight step up, and didn’t sense that as much as I’d hoped.”
Two expected starters, wide receiver Joshua Palmer and safety Cole Bishop, did play limited snaps as they return from injuries. Regarding Bishop’s participation, McDermott stated: “He needs more experience. He needs more reps. That’s where you work out some of these things, and that’s how you build the callouses, and it comes from experience. So, there’s nothing more important for him than the experience that he got tonight.”
Chicago took control early with starting quarterback Caleb Williams leading a seven-play touchdown drive. Once both teams turned to backups, Bears quarterback Tyson Bagent led three straight scoring drives in the second quarter.
For Buffalo’s quarterbacks vying for backup duties behind starter Josh Allen, Mike White started but completed just four of 11 passes for 54 yards over three series. Mitch Trubisky played in the second half and went seven-for-13 for 55 yards.
“We tried to give them about equal playing time. Mitch had the first half last week, Mike had it this week, and so we evaluate the best we can off those performances, and we move forward,” McDermott said.
Running back Frank Gore Jr., who led Buffalo in both rushing attempts and receptions Sunday night, lost a fumble near Chicago’s end zone during one of his opportunities but has otherwise performed well through two preseason games.
Special teams saw significant action due to Buffalo’s offensive struggles; punter Brad Robbins averaged 53 yards on six punts with three inside the 20-yard line but noted room for improvement after one touchback before halftime. Wide receivers Tyrell Shavers and Kristian Wilkerson each made catches over 20 yards as they continue to compete for roster spots ahead of final cuts.
Defensive end Michael Hoecht recorded Buffalo’s only sack along with four tackles on a night when few positives stood out for the team.
The Bills will conclude their preseason schedule next weekend against Tampa Bay before finalizing their roster for the regular season.
