The Chicago Bears fell a fingertip shy of reversing their fortunes against the Green Bay Packers at Soldier Field on Sunday, but the team had a different aura about it that offered a long-suffering fan base more reason for optimism than it’s had in weeks.
The vibe shift centered around rookie quarterback Caleb Williams, who looked more confident and more decisive, as he efficiently made plays with both his arm and his legs in his first game under interim offensive coordinator Thomas Brown.
This season has often served as a rude wake up call on repeat for Williams, who has learned the hard way that he can’t hold onto the football and try to out-athlete the defensive players across from him. But the maturity that Williams has accumulated over his first 10 NFL games showed up not just on the field against the Packers in big moments, but in the locker room when he addressed his teammates following the team’s firing of its former offensive coordinator Shane Waldron earlier this week.
“Bears rookie QB Caleb Williams actually got up in a team meeting after OC Shane Waldron was fired and APOLOGIZED for his part in the offense stalling enough where Waldron was fired,” Jay Glazer of FOX Sports reported on November 17. “Teammates were very impressed by the accountability and his decision to do that.”
Caleb Williams Played ‘Best’ Game of NFL Career Against Packers
GettyQuarterback Caleb Williams of the Chicago Bears.
Williams finished the day 23-of-31 passing for 231 yards, adding 9 rushes for 70 yards against Green Bay. The Packers defense sacked Williams three times on the afternoon. However a banged up Bears offensive line was partially responsible for that, and Chicago’s offense was much better than last week when it surrendered 9 sacks in a loss the New England Patriots.
And though Williams didn’t find the end zone Sunday, he was excellent under pressure. The QB led Chicago into field-goal range on a two-minute drive down a single point and would have scored the first comeback win of his professional career had it not been for a blocked kick on the final play of the game.
Former professional quarterback and current analyst Chase Daniel contended that Williams’ poise under pressure rendered his performance Sunday easily the best of his young career.
“Easily the best game of Caleb Williams’ career,” Daniel posted to X. “He let the game come to him [and] didn’t press at all. Forget about the result. This is the Caleb Chicago wanted … his best [three] throws of the game came on the [two]-minute drive. Coaching, man.”
Bears Will Need Caleb Williams at His Best Down Tough Stretch of Season
GettyQuarterback Caleb Williams of the Chicago Bears.
Despite all the positives, from Williams specifically and the team as a whole, Chicago is still 4-6 after losing its fourth consecutive game. And the schedule doesn’t get any easier from here on.
The Bears will host the Minnesota Vikings (8-2) next Sunday before a short turnaround for a Thanksgiving Day showdown on the road against the Detroit Lions (9-1).
Williams is going to need plenty of maturity and protection to keep Chicago competitive over the coming stretch, though the change to the offensive hierarchy and how Williams handled himself all week are positive omens for what is to come.
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