The Chicago Bears and Cincinnati Bengals wrapped up joint practice Thursday ahead of Saturday’s preseason game, and the session split evenly between two rosters that share a similar identity. If this were a real game, it would have been eerily similar to last year’s meeting between these two that totaled 89 points.

Both of these teams feature some very potent offenses that will score a ton of points this season. Bears quarterback Caleb Williams, Bengals defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, and Chicago’s secondary all delivered notable moments worth breaking down. So, let’s dive into it.

Caleb Williams has an up-and-down day, leaving his availability for Saturday’s game up in the air

Williams was the headline entering Thursday’s practice. Bears coach Ben Johnson wanted to see improved accuracy from his quarterback as the staff evaluates whether or not Williams will play in Saturday’s game. The early returns were shaky. Williams failed to complete a single pass during the first 11-on-11 session, including a missed connection to a wide open Kalif Raymond off play action.

Williams flipped the script once the red zone drills began. He fired a touchdown to tight end Colson Loveland with Lawrence bearing down on him and cornerback Jordan Battle draped in tight coverage. It was a difficult throw and an even tougher catch, but the chemistry between Williams and Loveland continued to flash on that play. Williams added another touchdown to camp standout Kaden Davis, who dove into the end zone, and connected with Raymond on a wide-open play-action play. Delivering in the red zone has been a focal point for Chicago’s offense, and Williams delivered during those reps.

However, the pendulum swung back the other way for Williams during the situational period to end practice. Williams was “sacked” twice on the final drive and his day ended with an overthrow to Loveland that was intercepted by Jalen Daniels.

Dexter Lawrence certainly showed the Bears what they’re missing

Lawrence, acquired by Cincinnati after the Bengals surrendered the 10th overall pick to the New York Giants earlier this offseason, was easily the most dominant player on the field Thursday and someone the interior of Chicago’s offensive line had no answers for.

He recorded a sack late in practice that eventually forced a turnover on downs for the Bears offense. He also tipped a Williams pass to himself for an interception, a reminder of a recurring concern Williams has had in the past getting balls batted at the line of scrimmage.

Lawrence beat double teams, stuffed the run, and controlled the interior all afternoon. The Bears likely never had a realistic path to acquiring him given the price the Bengals paid, but watching him wreck a practice from the other sideline drives home the what-if and explains why the Bears were interested in Vita Vea. A presence like that on Chicago’s defensive line would change the equation entirely.

Bears defense had up-and-down day of its own against Joe Burrow and the Bengals offense

Ben Johnson said before practice that Joe Burrow is “a surgeon” at the quarterback position, and the Bengals quarterback lived up to that billing. Wide receiver Tee Higgins had a field day against Chicago’s secondary, working as Burrow’s primary target throughout the session.

The good takeaways for the Bears’ defense came in two key moments. Cornerback Jaylon Johnson logged a pass breakup in coverage against Ja’Marr Chase. First-round rookie safety Dillon Thieneman came away with a deep interception on a pass intended for tight end Mike Gesicki after the ball was tipped.

Chicago’s defensive line also generated some pressure against Burrow, which is an encouraging sign for a unit that needs to prove it can collapse a pocket against elite quarterbacks.

Left tackle update

The left tackle competition remained status quo Thursday from what we saw during Wednesday’s short practice. Braxton Jones worked with the first-team offense while Theo Benedet ran with the second team. Ahead of practice, Johnson was asked about Benedet’s development and noted his pass protection was something they wanted to see more improvement at. It’s worth noting that both “sacks” Williams took during the final drive were given up by Benedet working against Myles Murphy.

As for Kiran Amegadjie and Jedrick Wills Jr., they rotated in with the second unit at right tackle behind Darnell Wright, matching what the team showed during Wednesday’s walkthrough.

Connection to watch going into Saturday’s game

Last weekend, my connection to watch was Tyson Bagent and Kaden Davis. This week, the connection to watch in Saturday’s preseason game is veteran quarterback Case Keenum and rookie wide receiver Zavion Thomas.

Thomas looked solid coming back from an earlier injury this week and hauled in several catches Thursday, including a lofting touchdown from Keenum with a defender draped over him. If Keenum starts Saturday’s game and Thomas suits up for his NFL debut, this connection could be the highlight of the second preseason game.