Bears have Caleb Williams at QB, and some of the same problems protecting him

HOUSTON — The Houston Texans came from everywhere. All angles, all speed, all converging for a town hall meeting on top of Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams.

When it was over, the Chicago Bears’ No. 1 overall draft pick had been sacked seven times, which is more than any quarterback in a game in this young season. According to the league’s Next Gen Stats, Williams was blitzed 20 times in passing situations and pressured 36 times on 37 dropbacks — the latter stat making it sound like the Texans were lining up for every snap in their SUVs.

The end result was a predictable 19-13 loss that felt all-too familiar in Chicago: with a quarterback struggling, a defense keeping the final score respectable, and a set of problems that might not have a quick fix. All of that … and pain.

“A little bruised up,” Williams said afterward, when asked about the punishment he absorbed in the loss. “You know, I took a couple hits today. I’m gonna get into the ice tub and do all the things I need to do to make sure that my body’s ready for tomorrow, practice on the other days and obviously next game.”

For the Bears, it’s a concerning inflection point early in the season. Maybe not a moment for panic after only two games, but certainly a sign that something may have to fundamentally change in the scheme to try and even out some very real protections issues. They can get away with some of this against a struggling Tennessee Titans team who also trucked the middle of the Bears’ offensive line in a Week 1 win for Chicago. But they’re not going to get away with it against a franchise like the Texans, which is constructed with the kind of architecture the Bears are striving for: A frenetic, nasty defense up front with a stingy secondary; a franchise quarterback who appears destined to be a special kind of difference maker for the next decade and beyond; and a surrounding cast of high-end skill position players who could go toe-to-toe with any other offense in the…

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Author : Yahoo Sports

Publish date : 2024-09-16 06:58:23

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