LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Maybe the real issue isn't whether Roy Williams dropped that pass Monday (are you kidding?), but how he and his team regard preseason games.

Roy Williams said he was just joking about being out of shape and claims he'll be ready for the season opener. Scott Boehm/Getty Images

Clearly, it is far out of line with the admittedly distorted view we in the media and some fans have this time of year. But Bears players such as Williams, Chris Harris and D.J. Moore don't have it completely right, either.

Asked about the Bears' 41-13 loss to the Giants, Harris, known for his playful sense of humor, was obviously irritated at what was but one of many contentious subjects discussed during recent labor talks.

"Chalk it up to a bad practice. Practice. The preseason," the Bears strong safety said Wednesday. "We're talking about practice. When you talk about a bad practice, that's what the preseason is for. It's for you to get ready for the regular season. Nothing that happened will go on any stat sheet. Nobody cares about preseason stats, at least I don't, and I don't think anyone in this room does. It's an opportunity to get better. ... We'll make corrections and move on."

Obviously, much of it comes down to the inherent risk involved in playing games that don't count, a point Moore made when he expressed disgust over the season-ending knee injury to Giants cornerback Terrell Thomas.

"That stuff is terrible, man. You got to knock these games down or something," Moore said. "I mean, your best players on the field are getting hurt? It's tough stuff; it's the preseason. I mean, you're playing for what, a thousand dollars a week or something? These are regular-season tickets. At least let him get hurt for a little more money."

It underscores the fine line players and coaches walk during the preseason. When it becomes potentially offensive is when there is a perceived lack of effort, as was seemingly the case when Williams told reporters last week that he wasn't in shape but would be ready when the real games started.

On Wednesday, he said he was kidding.

"I'm a sarcastic guy, I like to smile a lot, so I won't do that anymore," Williams said. "I'm just trying to perform, trying to compete. I think it got blown out of proportion but that's fine, whatever. I'm used to it. Whatever."

Bears coach Lovie Smith said he wasn't going to panic about Williams because it's the preseason and reminded the media that there is not a lot of game planning being done. And while discussing the Bears' failure in the red zone Monday night, a recurring problem last season as they ranked 26th in the league inside the 20-yard line, Jay Cutler brought up the same thing.