Good, bad and ugly from Bears' preseason loss vs. Bengals

After having the most dominant preseason win last week, the Chicago Bears had one of the worst preseason losses in Week 2. The Cincinnati Bengals beat them, 27-9, but the score does not even fully demonstrate how badly the Bears played in this game.

Chicago started their opening drive with the starters, including quarterback Caleb Williams, wide receiver Rome Odunze and tight end Colston Loveland. They had a short field after the Bengals’ kickoff was short of the landing zone and Williams led the Bears on a 33-yard drive to get them on the board early with a 3-0 lead. That might have been the most positive part of the entire game. The Bears would go the entire game without scoring a touchdown and quarterback Case Keenum struggled throughout the entire first half.

If head coach Ben Johnson was not satisfied after Chicago’s preseason victory against the Cleveland Browns, he is going to be livid about this 18-point loss. The Bears struggled with penalties throughout, their third down efficiency was atrocious and quarterback Miller Moss lacked situational awareness at times. However, it was not all bad though with some rookies making a statement.

Here is a look at the good, bad and ugly from the Bears’ first loss of the preseason against the Bengals:

Jordan van den Berg and Sam Roush: While their stats are not eye-popping, rookie tight end Sam Roush and rookie defensive tackle Jordan van den Berg had solid performances. Roush finished the game with two receptions for 30 yards, including an impressive 26-yard catch to close out the first quarter. Meanwhile, van den Berg recorded multiple tackles including two solo tackles, and showcased his disruptive play. These are both rookies that are expected to have some playing time in the regular season, so it was good to see them have some solid plays in the preseason.

Skyler Thomas' interception: This was undoubtedly the best moment of the game for the Bears as Skyler Thomas recorded the lone takeaway of the game. The undrafted rookie safety is just fighting for a roster spot and it was not looking good prior to this game with his listed as a third-team safety. While the Bears ultimately did not take advantage of this turnover, this play is still impossible to ignore.

Skyler Thomas with the INT 🙌

📺: FOX32 pic.twitter.com/g1EoBcHcoX

Case Keenum: Third-string quarterback Case Keenum was actually part of the good for Chicago in their win against the Browns. However, with Tyson Bagent out, Keenum became the backup quarterback in this game and did not have the same control of the offense he did against Cleveland. He failed to complete nearly half of his passes and had a quarterback rating of 75.6. It was generally frustrating to watch him, particularly on third down. His performance made it very clear that Bagent has solidified himself as the No. 2 quarterback and Keenum is not going to be a threat for that position. Also, the Bears do not want to be in a position of having to extensively rely on Keenum at any point this season since this game showed Keenum is not starting-caliber.

Muffs: Both Kaden Davis and JP Richardson muffed returns in the second quarter. Davis muffed a punt and Richardson a kickoff. Even though they both recovered their fumbles, the ball security issues are concerning.  Particularly for two players who are not even on the third-team offense, these special teams mistakes could ultimately cost them a roster spot.

Third down efficiency: The Bears were beyond terrible on third down in this game. On 14 total third down attempts, they only converted twice. Especially after only converting 33.3 percent of their third downs against the Cleveland Browns in the preseason opener, it is concerning that the Bears are struggling so much on third down. Third down efficiency is crucial for success in the NFL and if this horrible third down performance translates to the regular season, Chicago is going to have a lot of problems.

Penalties: Chicago struggles to convert on third down are partially because they kept getting penalties. Not only did the Bears have 11 total penalties for 81 yards, but they tended to come at the worst time possible. For example, on Chicago’s opening drive with the starters on the field, Braxton Jones had a 10-yard holding penalty which ultimately put the Bears in a first and 20 situation; they failed to get a single yard on the next two plays, resulting in a field goal. This pattern repeated itself with Case Keenum at quarterback and Miller Moss. Again, if this problem translates to the regular season, the Bears are going to be in a lot of difficult situations.

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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Good, bad and ugly from Bears' preseason loss vs. Bengals