CHICAGO — Bears head coach Ben Johnson added importance to Sunday’s NFL preseason game against the Buffalo Bills midway through last week, when he announced that quarterback Caleb Williams and the team’s starters would play.

That wasn’t the case in the exhibition opener against Miami, when most expected to play tons of regular-season snaps weren’t available.

Sunday should be the only preseason action top players see, so it was a valuable evaluation point for coaches and fans alike. Here are three things we learned from this contest, which wrapped as a 38-0 Bears victory at Soldier Field:

Caleb Williams, offense locked in during preseason cameo

Williams has taken some fair flak for clunky pre-snap operations during training camp, and the quarterback missed some open receivers at times.

We saw nothing of the sort from Williams on Sunday night. He was crisp, clean and surgically accurate during two series completing 6-of-10 passes for 107 yards, a touchdown and a 130.1 passer rating.

Most damage was done on the opening drive, a seven-play, 92-yard jaunt to the end zone. Williams was near perfect on that series, with precision accuracy. He connected with Colston Loveland twice, Cole Kmet on an explosive play, DJ Moore on a short pass and Olamide Zaccheaus on a 36-yard catch-and-run for a touchdown.

Williams’ second series was less successful and far shorter, but Rome Odunze dropped a third-down pass that he would say he should’ve caught.

Johnson took the starters out after that, preferring to maintain good health over another series.

It was a good showing overall, offering proof that Loveland and Kmet can play well together and that Zaccheaus is a guy who could make a profound impact this season.

And one more thing: Every word you read above comes with a caveat. The Bills did not play their starters in this game. The outcome might’ve been different for the Bears offense or it at least would’ve received more resistance from a solid Buffalo defense.

You won’t see a takeaway on the starting defense because it only played three full plays. Gervon Dexter Sr. had a tackle for a loss. The Bills false-started twice and never collected a first down. For a better picture of the starting defense, read how they fared versus Buffalo in Friday’s joint practice.

Burden’s in a bind

Luther Burden III is not a second-team receiver. He’s too talented for that title, which has been clear over the last two preseason games, when he’s a nearly impossible man to cover and is the best skill player on the field.

He flashed yet again on Sunday, with three catches for 49 yards, including a 22-yard reception near midfield.

Zaccheaus has been so consistently good from the slot that Burden can’t crack the starting 11. That’s not a rookie initiation, either. Zaccheaus has been awesome, including on Sunday, but Johnson will surely find creative ways to get this dynamic playmaker involved.

Brutal turn for Terell Smith

Bears cornerback Terell Smith was active in coverage when something went terribly wrong. He engaged with his receiver at the line and, after some hand fighting, fell to the turf in considerable pain, with trainers rushing to him right after the play ended.

The Bears brought out the cart, while the entire team huddled around Smith as he was placed on the vehicle.

Smith was ruled out just minutes later with a knee injury. That’s not a great sign for a young defensive back who was battling for a significant role on the team. He has come on over the last 10 days, with solid joint practices against the Bills and Dolphins.

The second-quarter scene was a reminder that injuries stink. Preseason injuries are the absolute worst, and a serious one may have struck a talented, young player.

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