Early on during Monday Night Football in Week 1, the vibes were high surrounding the Chicago Bears and quarterback Caleb Williams. The Bears were beating the Minnesota Vikings and they were making it look easy.
Unfortunately, the team fell apart in the fourth quarter.
When all was said and done, Chicago ended up losing the game by a final score of 27-24. Once again, the Bears were unable to seal the deal and start the season on a positive note. Following the game, there has been a lot of negativity surrounding the team.
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Williams in particular has received a lot of criticism. He didn't play a bad game, but he was unable to power his team to a win. After an offseason full of reports about him struggling, the pressure is continuing to mount on the second-year signal caller.
One former NFL star cornerback, Aqib Talib, is the latest to speak out about Williams. He brutally ripped into the young quarterback after the season-opening loss.
"I don't like it, Ben Johnson probably don't like it," Talib said. "I don't expect too much from Caleb Williams in the future."
That's a tough take after just one game. Williams didn't power his team to a win, but he also wasn't the reason Chicago came up short.
Throughout the game, Williams completed 21 of his 35 pass attempts for 210 yards, a touchdown, and no interceptions. He also ran for 58 yards and a touchdown on six attempts.
It's easily to look at those numbers and be uninspired. Also, it's easy to blame Williams for not doing enough to beat the Vikings. However, to give up on Williams after that Week 1 performance doesn't make a whole lot of sense.
This is the kind of pressure that Williams can expect to face all year long. Fans and the media are growing tired of the Bears coming up short of expectations. A lot of that frustration will come back on the quarterback.
Hopefully, Williams can get Chicago back in track in Week 2. The Bears have a tough matchup coming up on the road against the Detroit Lions.
While it won't be an easy game, a win over the Lions would put Chicago right back on the map and would help quiet down some of the criticism.
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