Sports

Caleb Williams’ confidence is soaring even as the Bears’ losses pile up

aqsa 0
Caleb Williams’ confidence is soaring even as the Bears’ losses pile up

CHICAGO — Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams made a mistake. He miscounted the Vikings defenders up front and didn’t make running back D’Andre Swift his “hot” read.

He erred, then he made one of those ridiculous, how-many-quarterbacks-can-make-this-play plays, the type of play that Bears fans and staffers can cling to as something makes another crushing loss somewhat more palatable.

The Bears lost their fifth game in a row, this one in overtime to the Vikings 30-27 on Sunday. But Williams’ performance is more than simply a silver lining. It’s what the team hopes makes this brutal season different from the others.

It was second-and-12 in the first quarter. Had Williams counted correctly, he would’ve made Swift the “hot” receiver, the player who would be ready for a quick pass in reaction to the blitz.

Instead, outside linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel got a free path at Williams, who had no one to throw to. So he took off.

Then magic happened.

“I quickly noticed that 43 was coming free and, yeah, so after that, go make a play,” he said.

Williams outran the outstretched arm of Van Ginkel, who then dove for the quarterback’s feet as he scrambled to his right. Linebacker Blake Cashman charged at Williams, who saw another linebacker close in on him as Swift got open.

“D’Andre made a — no pun intended — but a swift move upfield,” Williams said.

Williams planted his right foot and jumped as he threw it over Cashman, floating it down the right sideline. It’s his version of the fadeaway jumper. Swift maintained great concentration, catching the pass for a 30-yard gain.

go-deeper

GO DEEPER

Even when the ball bounces their way, the Bears can’t avoid another painful loss

Four plays later, the Bears scored their first touchdown in the first quarter since Week 5. It was the first time all season they led first in a game.

The rookie made a rookie mistake against a defense that makes quarterbacks pay. Then he did something special.

“I triggered it knowing how much space I had and just wanted to give him a shot and kind of make up for my little mess-up at the beginning of the play,” he said.

All week, the spotlight shined on the matchup between Williams and Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores, a master at confusing quarterbacks with his pre-snap looks, and someone who has never seen a blitz package he’s afraid to use.

Williams passed the test. He got the ball out quickly. He made strikes downfield. He got first downs with his legs. He gave the Bears a shot.

“He’s a ballplayer,” wide receiver Keenan Allen said. “When we need him to make a play, he’s gonna make a play. He’s a great guy to have when the game is on the line.”

After an early drop, Allen rallied for nine catches for 86 yards and a touchdown.

“I told him, let’s just stick to the script,” Allen said. “I know how open it looks, just keep those plays that we had during the week up and make ’em happen.”

Receiver DJ Moore had seven catches for 106 yards and a touchdown, plus the 27-yarder that set up Cairo Santos’ game-tying field goal.

“His confidence is through the roof,” Moore said. “He’s understanding the game plans through and through. To see him go out there and just be able to play quarterback like he wants to, it’s amazing to see.”

Williams has gone five consecutive games without throwing an interception. No Bears team had gone five games without a pick since 1932.

Of course, the Bears have lost all five of those games. The only other NFL team to do that was the 1994 Houston Oilers. They went 2-14.

go-deeper

GO DEEPER

Greenberg: In a season of heartbreakers, the Bears add another chapter to their sad story

Earlier in the losing streak, Williams might’ve been working too hard to protect the football. Against the Vikings, he emulated his play caller Thomas Brown and played with no fear, like his shot to Allen in the first quarter for 40 yards. He credited that throw to the improved communication during the week.

“That pass to Keenan, when he wrapped that defender and I saw (Van Ginkel) out there, I knew I had to rip it, that’s something we’ve talked about, and it’s weird when those moments happen when it’s something you talked about,” he said. “As soon as it happens, you have an answer, you trigger and you fire it.”

Williams finished 32-for-47 passing for 340 yards and two touchdowns, good for a passer rating of 103.1. It’s the third-best passer rating against the Vikings this season behind Jared Goff and Matthew Stafford. Williams and Goff are the only ones not to throw an interception against Minnesota.

“You can see it when he starts creating off schedule and that change of direction and athleticism, and we had him dead to rights a couple times and he gets out and makes huge plays. It’s going to be a challenge,” Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell said. “We’re going to have to play as consistently as possible and disciplined as possible against him as he continues to grow.”

Williams had some moments in the second half to learn from, plays that didn’t cost the Bears the game but could’ve helped change the outcome if handled differently.

On fourth-and-4 in the third quarter, miscommunication delayed the process as the kicking operation started running onto the field. Williams waved them back but misheard the play call from Brown.

“From there it went downhill,” Williams said. “This an incomplete pass on a play that I didn’t necessarily want to run. … From there, you obviously aren’t going to try to use another timeout because you know the game is going to be close at the end of the game. We already used one.

“You have to get up there really fast, make a few checks, get the ball snapped. It still is a matchup league. Go to your best matchup guys. Right then and there I went to Keenan and we just missed.”

go-deeper

GO DEEPER

NFL Week 12 takeaways: Is the Commanders offense collapsing? Are the 49ers out of time?

Williams saved his worst play for the worst possible time. He held on to the ball too long in overtime, leading to a 12-yard sack. The Bears punted two plays later, and the Vikings won on a field goal.

“They dropped a bunch of guys out, knowing that we had to get a good chunk play,” he said. “I held the ball too long and they made a great play. I should have just thrown the ball out of bounds, lived to fight another down, another play. It’s not what happened.”

It’s the push-pull for any evaluation of the Bears. They’re 4-7, bound for massive changes in January, and in the middle of yet another losing streak and continue to find new ways to lose.

Then again, usually when the Bears are mired in this, the quarterback is a big reason for it. For the second week in a row, Williams offered the city hope in a losing effort.

“True grit,” coach Matt Eberflus said. “Inspiring to the whole football team. Just really good execution. He did a really good job I thought all day. … He’s growing in front of our eyes.”

Considering the opponent, this might have been Williams’ best performance. But the Bears lost, and while they fixed the play calling, there’s no telling what the mountain of defeats can do to a rookie quarterback, even if he’s playing well.

It hasn’t been perfect, but Williams has reminded everyone over the past two weeks that he might still be “the one.”

Only the Bears would see promising results from a rookie quarterback, only to have that happen in losses. If that’s what this season is ultimately about now, Sunday was a step forward.

(Photo: Quinn Harris / Getty Images)

Related Story

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *