Bengals' defense ends up on the wrong side of a Caleb Williams highlight reel

Rookie quarterback Caleb Williams showed the potential that led to the Chicago Bears drafting him with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft in his home debut. Unfortunately it came at the expense of Cincinnati's defense.

After a relatively quiet start to the preseason contest between the Bears and Bengals, Williams exploded in Chicago's final drive of the first half, flashing his ability to make plays with both his arm and his legs.

The first eye-opening play was a long pass down the sideline to rookie receiver Rome Odunze. The play started with Williams spinning out of the pocket to avoid pressure, and it ended with him delivering a perfect pass to Odunze, who did his part and flashed his own lofty potential by securing the catch. Check the play out below:

That completion set Williams up to create some more magic, which he did by using his legs to dance through defenders, buy himself some time and ultimately galavant into the end zone for the first rushing touchdown of his professional career.

That touchdown capped of an eight-play, 90-yard drive orchestrated by Williams. It was easily his best drive of the preseason so far, and it showed exactly why Chicago was so eager to select him coming out of college. Williams played the entire first half of the exhibition against the Bengals. He went 6-of-13 for 75 yards as a passer, and he added that seven-yard rushing score.

While it was a promising performance for Williams, it's also important to remember that these plays came against Cincinnati's second-string defense, as their starters didn't play in the game. That's not to take away from their impressive nature, but Williams will be going against the best of the best during the regular season, so any major judgements should probably be reserved until then.

Also, Bengals fans shouldn't be too concerned. The defense will assuredly be more stout when the starters are out there. Sometimes you just end up on the wrong side of a highlight reel.