Caleb Williams runs for TD, leads 2 scoring drives as Bears beat Bengals 27-3

CHICAGO (AP) — Caleb Williams looked downfield and saw nobody open. He spun and hit Rome Odunze deep on the run, one prized rookie connecting with another on a 45-yard pass.

It was just the sort of play Chicago hopes to see on a consistent basis.

Williams made another good impression in his first appearance at Soldier Field since being drafted with the No. 1 overall pick, running for a touchdown and leading two scoring drives, and the Bears beat the Cincinnati Bengals 27-3 on Saturday.

Williams got off to a slow start coming off an impressive and brief showing last week at Buffalo in his first preseason appearance. Chicago went three-and-out on its first three possessions on a rainy afternoon. The former USC star then showed the arm and elusiveness the Bears are banking on, leading them to a field goal and scrambling for a touchdown.

Williams completed 6 of 13 passes for 75 yards against Cincinnati's backups, including the 45-yarder to Odunze. That set up a 7-yard touchdown scramble late in the second quarter.

“We’re going to be explosive,” Williams said. “We’re two rooks, but we’re trying to catch up to some older guys as fast as we can. We’ve got to make sure we’re right there on par with them, to be able to be efficient, function, got out there and be explosive, be on the same page and win games. Ultimately that’s what we’re here to do. And to have a guy like that who was drafted with me, we’re going to keep growing and keep building this connection.”

Odunze, the No. 9 overall draft pick, also had a 16-yard run on an end-around to help set up a field goal. Khalil Herbert carried five times for 31 yards.

Tyson Bagent started the second half for Chicago and threw two touchdown passes to Dante Pettis. He was 7 of 8 for 87 yards with a 151.6 rating before Brett Rypien took over midway through the fourth.

Simone Biles, fresh off winning three more Olympic gold medals in Paris and wearing a Green Bay Packers jacket, cheered on her husband, safety Jonathan Owens from the Chicago sideline. The jacket had an image of Owens, who signed with Chicago after spending last year with the rival Packers.

“She hasn’t been around much so she doesn’t have a lot of Bears gear and she was just supporting me,” he said. “That was all about her showing her support of her husband. We’re going to have to get her some more Bears gear.”

Logan Woodside started at quarterback for Cincinnati with the Bengals holding out Joe Burrow and backup Jake Browning out with a rib injury. He was 17 of 25 for 132 yards and two interceptions before Rocky Lombardi took over late in the third.

Evan McPherson, armed with a three-year, $16.5 million contract extension, kicked a 54-yard field goal at the end of the first half.

Second-round draft pick Kris Jenkins Jr. sacked Williams. The Bengals committed 11 penalties for 123 yards, and that frustrated coach Zac Taylor even though the starters weren't playing.

“There were just some things that should be avoidable,” he said. “It has nothing to do with talent, it has nothing to do with scheme. We just have to do a better job operationally handling some of those situations.”

Williams and the Bears got going early in the second quarter, after Amen Ogbongbemiga picked off a pass deep in Chicago territory. The Bengals were on the 22 when Josh Blackwell hit Woodside as he threw, and the ball popped up, leading to the interception.

Chicago took over at the 26. A 43-yard pass interference penalty against Josh Newton trying to defend a throw to Tyler Scott put the ball on the 15, leading to a field goal for the Bears.

The Bears added to their lead on their next drive when Williams, throwing on the run, hit Odunze deep along the left sideline. The 45-yard completion was his longest of the preseason.

Williams then spun away from two defenders on third down for a 7-yard touchdown, making it 10-0.

“It’s pretty unreal, honestly,” Odunze said. “I just watched it back. Man he’s throwing off of one leg, putting it on my outside shoulder. It’s like, oooh! It’s magical what he’s doing back there in that backfield. He’s special.”

UP NEXT

Bengals: Host Indianapolis on Thursday.

Bears: Visit Kansas City on Thursday.

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Chicago Bears cornerback Kyler Gordon (6) reacting after sacking Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Logan Woodside (11) during the first half of an NFL preseason football game, Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024, at Soldier Field in Chicago. Also on the field is Chicago Bears defensive end DeMarcus Walker (95). (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

Chicago Bears cornerback Kyler Gordon (6) reacting after sacking Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Logan Woodside (11) during the first half of an NFL preseason football game, Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024, at Soldier Field in Chicago. Also on the field is Chicago Bears defensive end DeMarcus Walker (95). (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Logan Woodside (11) hands the ball off to running back Trayveon Williams (32) during the first half of an NFL preseason football game against the Chicago Bears, Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024, at Soldier Field in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Logan Woodside (11) getting up and removes his helmet after he was sacked by Chicago Bears cornerback Kyler Gordon (6) during the first half of an NFL preseason football game, Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024, at Soldier Field in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

Chicago Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze (15) runs with the ball against Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Maema Njongmeta (45) during the first half of an NFL preseason football game, Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024, at Soldier Field in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

Chicago Bears running back Khalil Herbert (24) runs with the ball during the first half of an NFL preseason football game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024, at Soldier Field in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

Chicago Bears running back Khalil Herbert (24) runs past Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle Jay Tufele (97) during the first half of an NFL preseason football game, Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024, at Soldier Field in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) carries the ball in for a touchdown during the first half of an NFL preseason football game against Cincinnati Bengals, Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024, at Soldier Field in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

Cincinnati Bengals running back Trayveon Williams (32) carries the ball during the first half of an NFL preseason football game against the Chicago Bears, Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024, at Soldier Field in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

Cincinnati Bengals running back Trayveon Williams (32) runs with the ball against Chicago Bears linebacker Jack Sanborn (57) during the first half of an NFL preseason football game, Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024, at Soldier Field in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) carries the ball in for a touchdown during the first half of an NFL preseason football game against Cincinnati Bengals, Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024, at Soldier Field in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) scrambles out of the pocket during the first half of an NFL preseason football game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024, at Soldier Field in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) breaks away from a tackle against the Cincinnati Bengals during the first half of an NFL preseason football game, Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024, at Soldier Field in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pittsburgh Pirates general manager Ben Cherington expects manager Derek Shelton to return next season.

Cherington said Wednesday that Shelton remains “the right person to manage this team in 2025” despite an August swoon that dropped the Pirates out of postseason contention.

“I think there’s a lot to the job I believe he does really, really well and I also believe he works his tail off to continue to improve in a number of ways,” Cherington said.

Shelton is 288-404 (.415) in nearly five full seasons in Pittsburgh, which swept a three-game series from Miami on Wednesday.

The Pirates hoped to take another step forward in 2024 behind rookie pitchers Paul Skenes and Jared Jones. While they were above .500 and in the middle of the wild-card race at the July 30 trade deadline, Pittsburgh has slumped down the stretch and is on pace to finish with around 76 wins, right where the franchise was in 2023.

Still, Shelton sees progress.

“We’re in a definite, much better spot than we have (been) in the last two years with our starting pitching,” Shelton said Wednesday. “We’re deeper than we have been. We need to continue to build some things offensively and continue to grow that depth.”

Cherington hired Shelton in November 2019 to handle the major league roster as Cherington began a top-down overhaul of the organization. The steps back toward relevance have been difficult. The Pirates finished last in the NL Central in each of Shelton's first three seasons as Cherington traded away veterans like Joe Musgrove and Josh Bell while restocking the minor league system.

The team upped its record to 76-86 a year ago and 2023 top overall pick Skenes' arrival in the majors in mid-May gave the franchise the kind of buzz it has lacked since reaching the playoffs three straight years from 2013-15.

While Skenes has dazzled — he is 10-2 with a 2.10 ERA through 20 starts — the bullpen has been a mess and the lineup has struggled to produce regularly. The Pirates are near the bottom of the National League in every major offensive category, including runs (11th), home runs (13th) and on-base plus slugging percentage.

Though Cherington endorsed Shelton, he was less committed to the rest of the coaching staff. Hitting coach Andy Haines' job status is likely up in the air with runs continuing to be hard to come by.

“We will get to the end of the season and have an opportunity to look at the entire (coaching) group and decide, again consistent with the point about faster improvement and more improvement, if any adjustments are necessary to give ourselves a better chance to do that,” Cherington said.

The Pirates already have started making changes to the scouting department, though Cherington declined to call it an “overhaul.”

The major league roster remains a work in progress. The team moved 6-foot-7 shortstop Oneil Cruz to center field earlier this month after he struggled defensively. Third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes is dealing with back problems that limited his power. They currently have three catchers under control for next year — 2021 top overall pick Henry Davis, Endy Rodriguez and Joey Bart — and a glaring need at first base if they don't re-sign Rowdy Tellez, who has rebounded from a slow start.

Designated hitter Andrew McCutchen, who on Tuesday night reached the 20-homer plateau for the 10th time in his career, wants to come back next season and Cherington is optimistic that will happen.

“We would love to find a way for Andrew to finish his career in a Pirates uniform,” Cherington said.

Still, McCutchen is one piece of a complicated puzzle.

“(We) believe the team is better than it was last year and (it's still) not good enough,” Cherington said. "We need to make it better. There’s no one thing that’s going to do that. There are lots of things that are going to do that. We’re responsible for delivering and we’ll keep focused on that.”

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Pittsburgh Pirates manager Derek Shelton reacts in the dugout during the first inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals in Pittsburgh, Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)