Caleb Williams
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Caleb Williams of the Chicago Bears.
Caleb Williams had another up and down outing against the Detroit Lions Week 2.
He and the Chicago Bears got thumped 52–21, but the second-year quarterback did have a few beautiful hookups with Rome Odunze that resulted in touchdowns. Williams also threw an interception he likely wanted back the second it left his hand.
With just under 12 minutes remaining in the second quarter, penalties on offensive linemen Drew Dalman and Braxton Jones backed Chicago into 2nd and 32 at their own 37. Under pressure, Williams rolled right and fired across his body into traffic. Lions safety Kerby Joseph read it all the way, making a diving interception that set Detroit up in prime position. The Lions didn’t waste it, punching in a touchdown.
When he was asked about that play in particular, Bears head coach Ben Johnson had a blunt response: “He’s got to throw it away.”
It Wasn’t All Bad for Williams Week 2 vs. the Lions
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GettyBen Johnson was blunt when commenting on Caleb Williams’ INT vs. the Lions.
Williams finished 19-of-30 for 207 yards and two touchdowns, both of them to Odunze, who ended with 128 yards on seven catches. The Bears don’t have a ton of offensive rhythm yet, but the chemistry budding between Williams and Odunze is the one of the few positives you can take from a beatdown like this.
Beyond that, Williams played slightly better than he did Week 1. His footwork looked steadier, and his decisions were quicker.
“First game, missed a couple passes,” Williams said, via Jason Lieser of the Chicago Sun-Times. “This game, hit some key passes and didn’t feel like anything was off. My footwork was solid and I was hitting my guys.”
Will Ben Johnson’s Comments Push Caleb Williams to Do Better?
Detroit’s front harassed Williams constantly, sacking him four times. On one fourth-quarter snap, he uncorked another wild pass that looked like a second interception waiting to happen—until a roughing-the-passer flag bailed him out.
By then, the Bears had already turned to backup Tyson Bagent to finish the blowout. For his part, Williams hasn’t placed a lick of blame on anyone other than himself. The second-year QB is also trying to give himself grace as he and the rest of the offense get used to running Johnson’s offense.
“It’s always pointing the finger at yourself before you go pointing at anybody else,” Williams said. “I’m not necessarily going to say ‘tough film’ or anything like that. You’re going to make mistakes. You’ve got to go out there and not be fearful of making a mistake, and that’s how I play. If something happens, alright, cool, move on to the next play and let’s go back out there.”
What Should Chicago Work on Heading Into Week 3?
Two weeks in, and a theme is emerging for the Bears. Williams plays well early on, when he’s on schedule and protected — but the Bears’ offense hasn’t yet figured out how to sustain that beyond the first 15 scripted plays. After Week 1, Williams admitted the team “kind of lost focus” down the stretch, and the same story unfolded in Detroit.
If he can clean up his footwork under pressure, cut out the hero ball throws and get DJ Moore and his TEs more involved, life will be easier. He’ll also need better play-calling from his head coach.
But Williams has the arm, poise and a budding chemistry with Odunze that should keep fans from throwing in the towel after two ugly losses.