The Chicago Bears disappointed fans in their second preseason game, losing to the Cincinnati Bengals in a 27-9 blowout.
Chicago fell to 1-1 in the preseason as the offense didn't produce the big plays it leaned on in its Week 1 win over the Cleveland Browns. The game's story was the Bears' struggling secondary, which allowed 282 yards and three touchdowns in the loss.
There may not be as many winners as there were in Week 1, but there are still good and bad performances from this game to examine. Here are the winners and losers from the Bears after losing to the Bengals.
Winners and losers from Bears' preseason loss to the Bengals
Winner: Maurice Alexander, WR
Alexander never feels like he's realistically in the conversation to make the team, but he's playing really well in the preseason. He caught all five of his targets for 60 yards with a long of 18 yards, as he led the Bears in receiving. Bears head coach Ben Johnson has known Alexander for a while now, and that relationship might get him into the conversation to make the team. At the very least, Alexander makes the practice squad again.
Loser: Dontae Manning , DB
It's a shame because Manning had two pass deflections in the game before things went off the rails. He allowed two touchdown passes in the back of the end zone, with both times seeing him get burned. While Manning had six tackles and three pass deflections, his chances of making the roster after that game definitely went down.
Winner: Skyler Thomas, DB
The undrafted rookie out of Oregon State certainly made a nice statement in the loss to the Bengals. Thomas had two tackles, one pass deflection, and an impressive second half interception. Chicago has some tough decisions to make in the secondary, and Thomas certainly has himself in the conversation to make the 53-man roster.
Loser: Kaden Davis, WR
Chicago's training camp darling took a bit of a step back in the Bengals game. Davis only had one target and had a fumble on special teams, but he recovered it himself. It's not clear if this game will hurt his chances to make the 53-man roster, but Davis now needs to have a stellar final preseason game to seal the deal.
Winner: Salvon Ahmed, RB
Ahmed is giving Roschon Johnson a run for his money, as the two compete for the RB3 job. In the game, Ahmed has six carries for 36 yards and three receptions for 14 yards. This is going to be a fascinating battle that will have Bears fans' attention for the final preseason game, but Ahmed might be putting himself ahead of Johnson for the job.
Loser: Braxton Jones, LT
Jones came back into action hoping he could shut the conversation down and win the left tackle job. That did not happen, with one play showing Jones getting pushed back badly by a Bengals defender. He'll probably win the job, but he is not making it easy on himself.
Read more: Bears defender had Ja'Marr Chase 'fuming' after joint practice with Bengals
Winner: Jahdae Walker, WR
It wasn't a crazy performance for Walker, but he might the highlight play of the game for the offense. Case Keenum bombed a deep pass that Walker made a great adjustment to the ball and caught it from 36 yards out. That's the kind of play that will remind Bears fans that Walker is still a legitimate threat in this offense.
Add us as a preferred source on Google