The Chicago Bears (1-2) fell to the Indianapolis Colts (1-2) in this past Sunday’s football matchup. It was a tale of two halves from the Bears, although the offense performed better compared to the past two weeks. There is much to critique about the Bears following their loss, but there were also some positive takeaways.
Williams has finally arrived in Chicago
It can be overlooked in this loss, but Bears rookie quarterback Caleb Williams had his best offensive game so far this season. Williams threw for 363 yards, the second-most yards any quarterback has thrown this season, by completing 33 of his 52 passes. It is unusual to have a quarterback throw that many times in a game, but that was the only way the Bears got down the field against the Colts.
Williams also got his first NFL touchdown. It couldn’t have been more cinematic as the Bears’ rookie wide receiver, Rome Odunze, caught the passing touchdown.
It was a moment that Odunze and Williams will share, but the wide receiver will keep the ball. Chicago had to wait three weeks, but the Windy City can finally look forward to the Williams and Odunze connection.
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Even though Williams was still pressured at a high rate, he learned from the past two weeks, looking more comfortable in the pocket. It took him some time to figure things out, but a hail-mary completion at the end of the first half seemed to give him some confidence to extend and make plays.
However, it wasn’t all confidence and perfection from Williams. Many times throughout the game, Williams missed his receivers. These mistakes led to two interceptions and 19 incompletions. Still, the pros outweighed the cons, and improvement was evident.
Rome was not built in a day
After a rough first two weeks to start his NFL career, it was great to see Odunze come into his own against the Colts. With veteran wide receiver Keenan Allen out with an injury, the rookie stepped up on Sunday.
Odunze recorded six catches for 112 yards, including a touchdown reception to make it a one-score game. Despite multiple analysts critiquing his route-running ability, he created a lot of separation from the Colts’ defensive backs on Sunday. The job isn’t finished; he and Williams must get into the lab to continue improving.
So what went wrong?
Even though there were some good moments, there was still a bevy of bad ones.
The Bears were down at the half, following a 29-yard run by Colts running back Jonathan Taylor. The deficit dropped to four for most of the third quarter, thanks to Bears kicker Cairo Santos drilling a 53-yarder.
The fumble late in the fourth quarter was a punch to the gut. Every time something goes right for this team, they immediately make a mistake that costs them a touchdown. Williams surrendered his third turnover of the game, and all the offensive players’ heads went down as if the game was over.
Even though the Bears had six minutes left to come back and make a stand, the players knew their chances of winning had gone out the window.
I think this was an organizational loss rather than just on the players, with questionable play-calling throughout the game. Bears offensive coordinator Shane Waldron called a horrible game, especially in the red zone.
One clear example is right before the first half when the Bears drove down inside the five. Four straight run plays were unsuccessful for a team that has not run the ball well. The play calls were horrible and not creative, and the Bears got zero points after getting to the two-yard line.
Key moments like these decide football games, and the Bears have faltered at nearly every important offensive moment this season. Still, it’s a rookie quarterback leading the team, so patience is key.
@Jon_Mathew23
