After the beating Caleb Williams took, Ryan Poles and Matt Eberflus had better be busy overreacting

Ever get the feeling that the world is laughing at you?

Ever have the suspicion that there’s a Kick Me sign attached to the belt loop above your butt?

Ever conclude that Lucy has pulled the football away from you again, causing a somersault-producing whiff, and that doctors are refusing to rule out spinal-fusion surgery?

At some point Sunday night, it occurred to me that this is what being a Bears fan must feel like.

It’s the recurring sense that, no matter what you do and no matter who the team has on the roster, the story is going to end up with the quarterback running for his life, thanks to an offensive line that can’t pick up a blitz. Or block, for that matter.

Watching Caleb Williams under almost constant attack Sunday was like watching Justin Fields under almost constant attack when he was with the Bears. The way one quarterback or another has been under almost constant attack with this franchise. Watching the 19-13 loss to the Texans had to give Bears fans a sick feeling, a familiar one that says, “Apparently, we’re not allowed to have an offense that works.’’

It’s very, very early. Two games into the season. Too soon to say the sky has fallen again.

But still.

Chicago has seen this so many times that you can’t blame fans for thinking that quarterback karma and its steel-toed boots are back to kick the crap out of them. That’s what Sunday looked like. Different quarterback. Different offensive line. Same nonsense.

When a quarterback is sacked seven times and hit 11 other times, as Williams was Sunday, the chances of injury go up dramatically. After the game, he said was a “little bruised up.’’ That’s what a demolition-derby car would say if it did a post-race interview.

General manager Ryan Poles, considered by many Bears fans to be the Greatest Thing Ever for picking Williams first overall in the 2024 draft and surrounding him with skill-position stars, has been downgraded to Blithering Idiot on social media for not addressing the offensive line in the offseason. Or at least addressing it in a way that would make it unnecessary for Williams to get fitted for a body bag.

The rookie had looked out of sorts in his NFL debut the week before, misfiring on several passes. The offense didn’t score a touchdown, yet the Bears somehow beat the Titans. On Sunday night, Williams looked much sharper as a passer. His talent was obvious. But what’s talent worth when the barbarians have ripped off the gate and are in the backfield? Not much.

Having a gifted quarterback and an inept offensive line is an NFL mortal sin. If Poles and coach Matt Eberflus don’t figure this out, there’s going to be a crater where Williams used to stand. He’s a separated shoulder waiting to happen. Or a knee injury. Or, shudder, a recurring concussion problem. See Tua Tagovailoa.

The Bears likely will do with Williams what they did when Fields’ life and limbs were threatened. They’ll turn to the running game in an attempt to keep defenses guessing. On Sunday against Houston, they rushed just 22 times (compared to 37 passes) for 71 yards. D’Andre Swift “ran’’ for 18 yards on 14 carries. This suggests a few possibilities: A) That Swift should look into a legal name change; B) that the line can’t run block, either, or C) that new offensive coordinator Shane Waldron isn’t a whole lot different than his predecessor, the much-despised Luke Getsy.

Another option is that the Bears just had a bad game. But what kind of Monday Morning Quarterback would we be if, rather than overreacting, we reacted with a shrug and a, “Get ’em next time, boys!’’?

I know one thing: The Bears’ coaching staff had better be overreacting. Poles had better be overreacting. Chairman George McCaskey had better not be shaking his head at the silliness of overreacting. Williams is supposed to be a once-in-a-generation quarterback. Whatever it takes to protect him.

I don’t have a dog in the fight, but I don’t want to go through this again. I don’t want weekly debates about whether Williams is any good. I think he’s the quarterback the Bears have been looking for all these decades. I don’t want to watch him get beaten up beyond recognition. I don’t want the offensive line’s failings to delay his development. Or worse.

I don’t want the referendum of whether Williams is the Answer to be muddled by bad blocking or a clueless general manager or an offensive coordinator who’s out of his league. I’ve watched that rerun most of my life.

How to fix this? Maybe start with a football glossary lesson: “Under center’’ doesn’t mean “under siege.’’