If you were screaming at your TV throughout the entirety of the Bills' 38-0 defeat at the hands of the Chicago Bears, you probably were not alone. After a loss to the Giants in Week 1 of the preseason, the Bills came out even slower against the Bears, resulting in one of their worst performances of all time.
Are there things to be concerned about coming out of the game? Absolutely. Mitch Trubisky and Mike White look unreliable as backup quarterbacks headed into the season. No skill position players outside of Frank Gore Jr. looked like they were interested in competing for roster spots or even practice squad spots. The backup defense allowed 38 points and failed to cause any disruption, with one sack and no turnovers.
However, there is no need to overreact. While it is easy to get frustrated watching the Bills lose in such a sloppy fashion, it's nothing to lose sleep over.
That's because it is only the preseason
In fact, the Bills' last shutout loss was also in the preseason. In 2022, Buffalo was shut out 21-0 by the Carolina Panthers in the preseason. It was a game in which the Panthers played both of their starting quarterbacks for a majority of the game (Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold) while the Bills rolled with Matt Barkley and Case Keenum. Carolina was a young team trying to figure things out for the regular season, while the Bills were resting starters.
The Bills went on to finish that season 13-3, while the Panthers finished 7-10.
That's not the only preseason embarrassment in recent memory. Just last year, the Bills were beaten 33-6 at the hands of the Chicago Bears.
In a game eerily similar to the one they just played, the Bills' backup defense failed to slow down Caleb Williams and Tyson Bagent, while Mitch Trubisky struggled to create offense for Buffalo.
The Bears are a young team trying to find themselves in the preseason. Buffalo is seasoned and knows exactly who they are. There is a reason why one of these teams is treating the preseason like the playoffs and the other is sleepwalking through it.
Last year, the Bills finished 13-4. The Bears finished 5-12.
There's nothing to worry about Bills fans. Buffalo will be just fine come Week 1. They always are.