Caleb Williams Stats: Bears' No. 1 Pick Opens Preseason With 27-9 Loss at the Bengals

Caleb Williams' first real preseason look raises one problem: seven snaps produce a box score that confuses more fans than it informs. With 81 penalty yards, a 58.8 passer rating, and a 27-9 final, most headlines miss what the numbers actually show. This Caleb Williams stats breakdown turns every snap from the Bears-Bengals preseason game into a clear, data-driven story.

Caleb Williams — Quick Player Profile

On Saturday, August 22, 2026, the Chicago Bears traveled to Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio, for Week 2 of the NFL 2026 preseason. Kickoff came at 7:00 p.m. ET on local television — Fox 32 in Chicago, Fox 19 in Cincinnati, and NFL+ for out-of-market viewers — with no official attendance figure released for the exhibition, though the stadium's tailgate lots filled early with Bengals fans. The final score: Cincinnati 27, Chicago 9.

The way the game was won tells you everything about preseason football. With Joe Burrow, Joe Flacco, and essentially the entire starting eleven in street clothes, the Bengals leaned on 40-year-old journeyman Josh Johnson, who finished the first half with two touchdown passes, and Sean Clifford, who added a third early in the second half. Evan McPherson made all three field goals, including one from 58 yards. Chicago's answer was three Cairo Santos field goals and nothing else: zero touchdowns, 0-for-2 in the red zone, and a 14.3 percent third-down conversion rate. When a team scores 27 points on just three touchdowns and a 46.2 percent third-down number, the margin is never in doubt.

Match Overview

Quarter-by-quarter scoring:

Caleb Williams Stats: Core Match Statistics Overview

The team numbers frame the entire story. Chicago generated more total yards than people expect from a team that scored nine, but the distribution of those yards — and what happened on third down and inside the 20 — explains the final score better than any headline number.

The Passing Efficiency Gap

• Cincinnati completed 65.8 percent of its passes and averaged 7.4 yards per attempt, while Chicago managed 55.8 percent and 5.2 yards per attempt. That 2.2-yard-per-throw difference compounds across 40-plus attempts.
• Josh Johnson alone produced a 113.7 passer rating in the first half, while Chicago's three quarterbacks — Williams, Case Keenum, and Miller Moss — split 43 attempts for 236 net yards and zero touchdowns.

Third-Down Execution

• The Bengals converted 6 of 13 third downs (46.2 percent); the Bears converted 2 of 14 (14.3 percent). Cincinnati faced nearly the same number of long-yardage situations and got the ball back to its offense four more times.
• Chicago's 14 third-down attempts at a 14 percent conversion rate is the single stat that explains how a team with 322 yards of offense scored nine points.

The Penalty Problem

• Chicago committed 11 penalties for 81 yards, more than double Cincinnati's 49 (9 penalties). Eighty-one yards equals roughly eight or nine automatic first downs given away.
• On the opening drive, a holding penalty on left tackle Braxton Jones shoved the No. 1 offense back into a first-and-20 at the Cincinnati 27, setting up the three straight incompletions that defined the night.

Red-Zone Execution

• The Bears entered the red zone twice and left with zero points (0-2), including 0-for-1 on goal-to-go. Cincinnati scored on two of three trips (67 percent) and went 1-for-1 on goal-to-go.
• Chicago's three straight incompletions inside the 27 — the second thrown wide of a wide-open Colston Loveland — turned a potential opening-drive touchdown into a field goal and cost seven points on one possession alone.

Period-by-Period Analysis

Preseason games rarely follow a script, but this one moved in clear stages: a tied first quarter, a second-quarter surge by Cincinnati, a second-half touchdown from the rookie corner of the depth chart, and a fourth-quarter field goal that parked the game.

First Quarter: A Tied Field-Goal War

• Caleb Williams opened the night by faking a toss right to Roschon Johnson, rolling left, and finding Rome Odunze in stride for 18 yards on the very first play. He followed it with a wobbled 10-yard quick pass to Colston Loveland for a first down.
• After Braxton Jones' holding penalty created a first-and-20 at the Cincinnati 27, Williams went three straight without a completion — overthrew Loveland near the goal line and then threw wide of Odunze on purpose, spotting a linebacker dropping into coverage late. Santos' 45-yard field goal capped the drive.
• On the other end, Johnson's 14-play, 67-yard opening march against Chicago's starting defense finished with a 25-yard McPherson field goal. The defense held, but the clock told the real story: 14 plays before a score.

Second Quarter: Cincinnati Takes Control

• Johnson's deep strike right to rookie wide receiver Colbie Young for 17 yards gave Cincinnati a 9-3 lead, and his 6-yard dart to veteran tight end Tanner Hudson with 23 seconds left made it 16-6. Johnson was then done, ending his night with two touchdowns.
• A Cairo Santos field goal from 26 yards kept Chicago within striking range at 11:00, and with the clock at zero he struck from 44 to make it 17-9 at the half — the half-ending kick giving the Bears a cushion they never got to use.
• By the break, linebacker Nephi Sewell had been carted off late in the first half, with nearly the entire roster circling the cart to wish him well before he headed to the locker room.

Third Quarter: Clifford Cashes In Immediately

• Sean Clifford took his first snap of the game and needed just six plays and 75 yards to score, hooking rookie wide receiver Noah Thomas for a 20-yard touchdown that extended the lead to 24-9.
• Chicago's second-string offense could not sustain a drive all period and left the third quarter scoreless, the same stretch where the full game's 2-for-14 third-down rate did its damage.
• Zac Taylor said afterward that he "probably would have played" Johnson into the third quarter, a public stamp of approval for the 40-year-old, who finished 15 of 23 for 156 yards and two scores.

Fourth Quarter: McPherson Settles It

• McPherson's 58-yard field goal with 14:11 left in the fourth gave Cincinnati a 27-9 lead and improved the Bengals to 2-0 in preseason play.
• Santos missed from 53, leaving Chicago's entire 9-point output to come from three field goals — every single one of them kicked before the third quarter began.
• The game's only turnover came late: Clifford's deep pass intended for Jack Endries was picked off by Bears safety S. Thomas at the Cincinnati 49, preserving the result and ending Chicago's final threat.

Caleb Williams Box Score: Detailed Player Statistics

Because the starters played sparingly, the box score is really three stories: one about Williams' seven snaps, one about the backup quarterbacks keeping the offense afloat, and one about a kicker who did all the scoring Chicago scored.

Chicago Bears Player Statistics

Caleb Williams took the snap on the opening drive and delivered his best throw of the night first, pulling up in stride for an 18-yard completion to Odunze while absorbing a late rush. From there the drive unraveled — a holding penalty, three straight incompletions in the red zone, and a field goal instead of a score — leaving the No. 1 pick 2 of 5 for 28 yards with a 58.8 rating before the backup quarterback took over.

Case Keenum stepped in after one series and proved the Bears' veteran presence still has value, going 9 of 17 for 119 yards without a turnover through halftime. He kept Chicago's backup offense competitive against Cincinnati's depth, but the game was already out of reach after the second-quarter TDs.

Miller Moss handled the bulk of the second-half workload and managed 13 of 21 for 103 yards, moving the ball without ever getting Chicago close to the end zone. His stretch of drives ended with the 53-yard Santos miss, capping the Bears' point total at nine.

Cairo Santos was the only Chicago player to put points on the board, drilling field goals of 45, 26, and 44 yards while missing from 53. His 9 points accounted for 100 percent of the Bears' output — a harsh footnote, but an honest one.

Cincinnati Bengals Player Statistics

Josh Johnson played the role of journeyman to perfection, directing a 14-play, 67-yard opening drive and closing the first half with two touchdown passes, a 17-yard bomb to Young and a 6-yard dart to Hudson. His 113.7 rating on 15 of 23 passing reminded Cincinnati fans that the veteran can still make pro-level throws at 40.

Sean Clifford picked up where the 40-year-old left off, hitting Noah Thomas for a 20-yard touchdown on his first series and adding 126 passing yards and 11 rushing yards before giving way. His one interception in the fourth quarter — the game's only turnover — came after the contest was decided.

Colbie Young may have been the most significant statistical line on the board for the future, catching three of eight targets for 48 yards and a touchdown in his first action against a legitimate NFL defense. Rookie Noah Thomas matched him with a one-catch, 20-yard score, and CFL import Dohnte Meyers piled up 41 receiving yards, 9 rushing yards, and 54 return yards in a single day.

Evan McPherson handled every Cincinnati scoring opportunity except the three touchdowns, making field goals from 58 and 25 yards along with all four extra points for 13 points. His 58-yard kick in the fourth quarter was the kind of special-teams play that quietly decides preseason games.

Statistical Leaders Summary

Why the Bengals Won / Why the Bears Lost

Why Cincinnati Won

Third-Down Conversion Told the Story

• A 32-point gap in conversion rate (46.2 vs. 14.3) is the statistical fingerprint of this game. Every third down Chicago failed to convert pushed Cincinnati one step closer to field position advantage.
• Cincinnati's 19 first downs — 14 of them passing — came against a defense that gave up 346 yards but only nine points, the difference between looking good and looking efficient.

Red-Zone and Goal-to-Go Scoring

• The Bengals scored on two of three red zone trips and converted their lone goal-to-go chance, turning three scoring opportunities into 21 points.
• Chicago's 0-for-2 red zone record means the Bears' entire point total came from beyond the 20-yard line — a field goal-dependent offense in a game where field position mattered most.

Pass Efficiency and Yards Per Play

• Cincinnati moved 46 more net passing yards on 5 fewer pass attempts, a per-play advantage of 2.2 yards that adds up to roughly two extra first downs per game.
• Johnson's 113.7 first-half rating and Clifford's 87.1 second-half rating show the passing attack never dropped below competitive level, even with the top two starters in street clothes.

Penalty Discipline

• The 32-yard penalty gap (81 vs. 49) is the kind of self-inflicted wound that no scheme can fully repair. Chicago effectively handed Cincinnati nine automatic first downs.
• On a per-play basis, Cincinnati gained 6.0 yards to Chicago's 4.8 — a 25 percent edge in efficiency that no box score percentage line captures better.

Why Chicago Lost

No Touchdowns, No Red-Zone Points

• The offense never converted a single red zone visit into a touchdown, and the goal-to-go failure on the opening drive set the tone for the entire afternoon.
• When a No. 1 offense scores nine points on three field goals against a backup-heavy defense, the evaluation has to start with execution, not personnel.

Three Incompletions That Defined the Night

• Williams' third throw of the drive sailed wide of a wide-open Loveland inside the 10, and his fourth — thrown to the outside of Odunze deliberately after spotting a linebacker into coverage — capped a sequence the quarterback himself said had few good answers: "There's not many calls that you can have for second-and-20 or third-and-20."
• The gap between that drive's potential (a touchdown, 10-0) and its result (a field goal, 3-0) is the entire story of the loss in miniature.

A Penalty Flood and a Backup Offense That Could Not Finish

• Case Keenum (9 of 17, 119 yards) and Miller Moss (13 of 21, 103 yards) kept the backup group honest, but neither could overcome 81 penalty yards and a 14.3 percent third-down rate.
• The discipline issues tracked back to Thursday's joint practice, where coach Ben Johnson flagged three illegal procedure problems in the first seven plays and decided the offense "needed that work" on Saturday. The work showed up on the stat sheet: 11 penalties, zero touchdowns.

FAQ & Conclusion

Who won the Bears vs Bengals preseason game on August 22, 2026?

The Cincinnati Bengals won 27-9 at Paycor Stadium in Week 2 of the NFL 2026 preseason. The result gave Cincinnati a 2-0 record in exhibition play and left the Bears at 1-1.

What were Caleb Williams' stats against the Bengals?

Caleb Williams completed 2 of 5 passes for 28 yards with no touchdowns, no interceptions, and a 58.8 passer rating. He played one series — seven snaps — and was replaced by Case Keenum after the opening possession.

Why did Caleb Williams play only one series?

Head coach Ben Johnson decided the offense "needed that work" after three illegal procedure problems in the first seven plays of the joint practice with Cincinnati on Thursday. Williams started the game but was pulled after the first drive, with Case Keenum in until halftime and Miller Moss taking over in the second half.

Who scored the most points for the Bengals?

Josh Johnson tops the point column with 12 from two touchdown passes, a 17-yard strike to rookie Colbie Young and a 6-yard dart to tight end Tanner Hudson. Evan McPherson is second with 9 from two field goals (58 and 25 yards) and three extra points, while Sean Clifford adds 7 from a 20-yard touchdown pass to Noah Thomas.

How did Cairo Santos perform on field goals?

Santos went 3 for 4, making kicks of 45, 26, and 44 yards and missing from 53. His 9 points were every point Chicago scored in the game.

When do the Bears start the regular season?

Chicago opens the 2026 regular season at the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, September 13. Before that, the Bears play their final preseason game at Tennessee on Saturday, August 29.

Conclusion

The 27-9 final at Paycor Stadium was decided by efficiency, not name recognition. Cincinnati converted 46.2 percent of its third downs against Chicago's 14.3 percent, scored on two of three red zone trips against zero, and turned every scoring chance into points while the Bears turned their only goal-to-go chance into a field goal. Teamwork in the shape of a balanced backup attack — two touchdown-passing quarterbacks, a perfect kicker, and rookies who took the ball to the house — outexecuted individual talent on paper. For the Bears, the loss is a checklist rather than a verdict: fix the red zone, cut the 81 penalty yards, and lift the third-down rate before September 13. That is the job, and it starts in Tennessee on Saturday.