Caleb Williams and the Bears still very much a work in progress

Carmen Vitali

NFL Reporter

Week 3 was, again, not the result the Chicago Bears and quarterback Caleb Williams were looking for.

This isn’t the column I wanted to write, again.

But you have to Bear with this team if you’re a Chicago fan.

First off, you don’t really have a choice. So much was made about the additions made to the roster and yet somehow, not enough understanding is being given to the fact that the offense is almost entirely new, including the offensive coordinator.

It is a frustrating watch. There’s no way around that. The unit with the most continuity — the offensive line — doesn’t look like that’s the case. The Bears cannot find a way to effectively run the ball or get their backs involved (Chicago averaged just 2.3 yards per carry against a Colts team that had been giving up an average of 237 rushing yards per game). But if you expected this to look figured out by Week 3 or any time before the halfway point of the season, that’s on you.

Shane Waldron is clearly going the baptism-by-fire route with Williams. They’ve put a lot of responsibility on the rookie’s shoulders in the form of pre-snap decisions and diagnoses. That’s why you see the play clock tick down to nearly zero more often than not. It’s why you see certain miscues on timing with running backs and miscommunications all along the offensive line. Williams is setting protections against defenses he hasn’t seen before.

The play calls aren’t helping Williams, either. Williams finished 33 of 52 for 363 yards and two touchdowns with two interceptions in Sunday’s 21-16 loss to the Colts. Asking your rookie quarterback to throw the ball 52 times isn’t the answer to your rushing woes. There are other ways to get your diverse backfield involved than just handing the ball off up the middle.

That said, there was a bright light on the drive preceding Williams’ first-ever NFL touchdown pass in the fourth quarter, though. It was a 13-play drive, with…

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Publish date : 2024-09-22 22:37:39

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