The Chicago Bears took care of business on Sunday. They faced a 1-5 New Orleans Saints team, which invited belief that it would be a cakewalk. However, they knew the record was misleading. The Saints had played almost every opponent on their schedule tough. It was much the same on Sunday. Chicago never quite blew the game open, but they got the job done 26-14. The story of the game was a stellar defensive performance with four takeaways and 222 yards from the ground game. However, there was a sour aftertaste due to Caleb Williams.
He didn’t have a good afternoon, throwing for just 176 yards and an interception. New Orleans seemed to make him uncomfortable at times with their pass rush, and Williams didn’t help matters with his unnecessarily aggressive approach. Too often, it felt like he was constantly looking for the kill shot. That isn’t a great strategy for a quarterback, even against bad teams. After the game, Williams didn’t hide from what happened. He took full ownership, stating he did not take full advantage of the opportunities the defense gave him.
That will not continue moving forward.
Caleb Williams deserves some patience.
Up until Sunday, he’s played pretty well all season. His efficiency still needs to improve. Too many incompletions and missed opportunities. Still, his accountability is refreshing. It is important to keep things in context. This was just the sixth game in a new offense. Jared Goff wasn’t lighting up the scoreboard in his first couple of months under Ben Johnson in 2022. His sixth game saw him throw two interceptions and only put up six points. Things didn’t really start clicking for him until late November, and he was a seventh-year veteran by then.
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Asking Caleb Williams to execute at a high level so soon is a little unfair. Yes, he needs to be better. He clearly knows that. The good thing is the Bears won anyway. They ran the ball well and played great defense. It’s not like Williams hasn’t contributed. They don’t beat Dallas or Las Vegas without him. This isn’t a case of a quarterback being carried by his team.
Let things play out. He’s done enough to earn that right.