Chicago Bears vs. Buffalo Bills: 4 storylines to watch in Caleb Williams' preseason debut

LAKE FOREST – No. 1 overall draft pick Caleb Williams will make his preseason debut Saturday. The Chicago Bears rookie quarterback is expected to play against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium in New York.

It’s unclear how much Williams will play. Bills coach Sean McDermott said this week that Josh Allen and the Buffalo starters will play about one quarter of action.

This will be the Bears’ second preseason game after they won a rain-shortened contest against the Houston Texans during the Hall of Fame game last week. Williams did not play in that game.

Here are the top storylines to pay attention to during Saturday’s game. The game will be broadcast on the NFL Network and Fox 32.

1. Caleb Williams makes his Bears debut

Bears fans will have their first look at Williams. Even if it’s only a preseason game, there’s sure to be plenty of hype surrounding this game. The preseason is overreaction season. Whether it goes well or not, there will be overreactions.

Bears head coach Matt Eberflus previously said Williams will play about 45 to 55 snaps throughout the entire preseason (regular-season games average 63 snaps per team). With three preseason games remaining, that doesn’t leave a whole lot of snaps per game.

Asked if Williams will play multiple possessions Saturday, Eberflus said “there’s a range of plays.”

What is Eberflus looking for?

“Just more of what we see now [in practice],” Eberflus said. “Where he is, in terms of the progress? This is his first time in live action. He’s been getting a lot of good reps with our [first-team] defense, so I think it will feel similar to him.”

2. Where is this offensive line?

The Bears were down two starters on the offensive line for much of practice this week. Right guard Nate Davis has not played in team drills. Right tackle Darnell Wright has been in and out at various times this week.

Interior lineman Ryan Bates also appeared to exit practice early due to a minor injury Thursday.

If Bates and Wright are good to go, the offensive line on Saturday could look like this: Braxton Jones at left tackle, Teven Jenkins at left guard, Coleman Shelton at center, Bates at right guard and Wright at right tackle. If not, Larry Borom could start at right tackle and Matt Pryor could be in line to play right guard.

“It’s a double-edge sword no matter which way you go with it,” Jenkins said. “Of course, you want to take care of your body throughout camp and preseason, but at the same time you need those reps to get better.”

It’s a double-edge sword no matter which way you go with it. Of course, you want to take care of your body throughout camp and preseason, but at the same time you need those reps to get better.”

—  Teven Jenkins, Bears offensive lineman

The Bears wouldn’t put Williams out there if they didn’t think the offensive line was capable of protecting him. In theory, there should be continuity along this offensive line with four of five starters returning from last season. Saturday will be the first glimpse of what it looks like.

3. Velus Jones at running back

The Bears moved receiver Velus Jones Jr. to running back this week. The move is not permanent, yet, but could be if things go well. When the second- and third-string offenses hit the field, Jones will be one of the most intriguing storylines to watch in this game.

In two NFL seasons as a receiver, Jones has more carries (17) than receptions (11). The Bears view Jones as a dangerous weapon as a kick returner, but they’ve had trouble finding ways to consistently involve him in the offense.

This week, he took reps with the running backs. Running backs coach Chad Morton said he had been pushing for Jones to get a chance at running back.

Eberflus said Bears fans can expect to see Jones get a look there during the preseason game.

“Definitely,” Eberflus said. “I think that he’s done well back there. He’s certainly got speed, we know that. He’s very durable. He’s got some good lean mass to him, so he can knock it forward pretty good.”

4. Defensive starters could be limited

The starters are playing, yes, but there’s a huge caveat. Eberflus said any starter who is “available” will play. On the defensive side of the field, about half of the starters have been dealing with minor injuries. It feels likely that most of them will sit this one out.

Cornerback Kyler Gordon, cornerback Tyrique Stevenson, safety Jaquan Brisker, defensive end Montez Sweat and defensive tackle Andrew Billings have been sidelined during recent practices. That’s five of 11 starters who probably won’t play. Top cornerback backup Terell Smith suffered an apparent injury Wednesday and sat out practice Thursday.

So what should fans look for?

Defensive tackles Gervon Dexter and Zacch Pickens could take on big roles. Rookie defensive end Austin Booker should see valuable reps. On the back end, backups Elijah Hicks at safety and Jaylon Jones at cornerback could see more action than usual. Undrafted rookie Reddy Steward was an interception machine in college. He could play at the nickel cornerback spot.