Despite an afternoon’s worth of evidence to the contrary, Bears coach Ben Johnson felt like he could trust his offense in one of Sunday’s biggest moments.
The Bears faced fourth-and-goal at the 1 about 10 minutes the third quarter of an eventual 26-14 win against the Saints at Soldier Field. The Bears led by six but the moment felt larger than that — the Saints, overmatched for most of the first half, had scored two touchdowns in as many drives to turn a laugher into something more serious.
Bears quarterback Caleb Williams got under center, called hike — and the ball fell to the ground. It was that kind of afternoon for the quarterback — certainly one that belied the final score of the Bears’ fourth consecutive win.
Williams’ fumbled snap — amazingly, the third of the game — was bailed out in the most Bears way possible. Center Drew Dalman was called for double-clutching the ball, which was a false start. The play didn’t count, the Bears moved five yards backward and made a field goal to take a 23-14 lead.
The snap snafu, for which Dalman took the blame, saved the Bears from themselves during the worst game of Williams’ season.
Williams finished 15-for-26 for 172 yards and one interception. His 61.7 passer rating was the fifth-worst he’s ever posted, with two of the four below it being the first two games of his NFL career.
Before Sunday, Williams had only won one game in which he’d posted so few yards and such a low passer rating — in his NFL debut against the Titans. In that game, he could thank counterpart Will Levis, who threw two interceptions and fumbled the ball away once. Sunday, he could thank Spencer Rattler, the Saints quarterback who threw three interceptions and fumbled the ball away on a Montez Sweat strip-sack.
“There are things that I can be better at, there are things that I’m going to be better at,” Williams said. “There are things that weren’t hitting [Sunday], and you just have those days sometimes. It’s nice that we have a defense, we have special teams — a punter, kicker — that can put us ahead, that can help us win games. A run game that can control the game.
“We get this figured out on my side, we’ll be putting up a lot of points and be very dangerous.”
Even sitting at 4-2, the Bears season will depend on just how dependable Williams can be. He’s getting help from his run game, finally. Six days after rolling the Commanders on the ground, the Bears’ three running backs ran 33 times for 216 yards, with D’Andre Swift carrying 19 times for 124.
“The run game was working,” Johnson said. “The pass game wasn’t nearly efficient enough.”
That the Bears were able to win Sunday despite Williams’ struggles is more a statement about the state of the Saints, the worst team in the NFC, than any sign of progress.
The Bears have lost too frequently over the years to apologize for the final score. Their mistakes, though, made for ugly football.
The Bears continued to be one of the most penalized teams in the NFL, totaling 10 flags for 92 yards.
Williams continued to struggle at the thing he’s best-known for — throwing on the run. He’s neither keeping the ball at the right time — he ran four times for -2 yards — or throwing with accuracy.
“Guys got open, and I think I missed,” he said.
Williams threw his third interception of the year. He fumbled a shotgun snap in the first quarter and then was credited with another one four plays later. On third-and-four from the 6, Williams went under center and put his hands out for the snap, only for Dalman to rock his right arm backward. Dalman was knocked to the ground with the ball in his hand, and the Bears were forced to kick a 27-yard field goal to take a 3-0 lead. Dalman said later that in the case of both bad under-center snaps, he was to blame for not obeying at the proper cadence.
The Bears managed 20 points in the first half with Williams struggling because of a defense that dominated Rattler until the frame’s final minute. Williams’ four scoring drives in the first half — two touchdowns and two field goals — started with, on average, the ball sitting at the Saints’ 46.
That won’t work against a better team — even the 1-5 Ravens, who await Williams in Baltimore next week, presumably with a rehabbed Lamar Jackson under center. The Bears know that will a better test than the Saints were.
Cornerback Kyler Gordon smiled when asked whether the Bears were satisfied by Sunday’s win. They celebrated — briefly.
“We turn the music on, couple songs,” he said. “All right, next team.”
For them to have a prayer of celebrating next week, Williams needs to be better.
“We have so much more potential,” tight end Colston Loveland said. “I know potential’s just a word — until you go do it.”
