The Bears struck early, as rookie quarterback Caleb Williams led a 92-yard opening drive capped by a 36-yard touchdown pass to Olamide Zaccheaus. Williams, the first overall pick in the 2024 draft, finished his brief appearance 6-of-10 for 102 yards and a touchdown, looking sharp in his first preseason action under new head coach Ben Johnson. Chicago’s offense continued to roll with backup Tyson Bagent, who threw for 197 yards and a touchdown, and running backs Ian Wheeler (80 yards, two touchdowns) and Brittain Brown (73 yards, one touchdown) controlling the ground game.
By halftime, the Bears led 28-0 and had outgained the Bills 343-22 in total yards, owning an 18-1 advantage in first downs. The Bills’ offense, led by Mike White and later Mitchell Trubisky, managed just 180 total yards and failed to convert a third down (0-for-8). White finished 4-of-11 for 54 yards, while Trubisky went 7-of-13 for 56 yards. Frank Gore Jr. led Buffalo in both rushing and receiving but lost a costly fumble in the red zone.
Buffalo’s defense had no answers, surrendering 528 total yards and 31 first downs, while the Bears converted 9-of-16 on third down. Injuries added to the Bills’ woes, with rookie safety Cole Bishop and defensive back Jordan Hancock both leaving the game. The Bears also suffered several injuries, including to defensive end Austin Booker and running back Deion Hankins.
Bills head coach Sean McDermott emphasized the disappointing effort from the backups, noting, “I was looking forward to seeing some guys with the opportunity tonight step up, and I didn’t sense that as much as I hoped.”
With the loss, Buffalo falls to 0-2 in preseason, while Chicago improves to 1-0-1. The Bills close out their preseason against Tampa Bay, while the Bears will face Kansas City. For more, see Bears 38-0 Bills (Aug 17, 2025) Game Recap.
This result highlights the Bears’ growing confidence with Williams at the helm and exposes Buffalo’s lack of depth behind its starters. As the regular season approaches, both teams will look to solidify their rosters and address key areas—Chicago with an eye on continued progress from its rookie quarterback, and Buffalo searching for answers among its reserves.