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Chicago Bears' Caleb Williams Breaks NFL Rookie Passing Record In Loss To Minnesota Vikings

Former USC Trojans quarterback Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears suffered another late-game heartbreak by losing their fifth consecutive game in overtime to the Minnesota Vikings. Despite the final result, the rookie quarterback broke a Bears record and tied another.

Kyron Samuels

Nov 17, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) warms up before the game against the Green Bay Packers at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Bartel-Imagn Images
Nov 17, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) warms up before the game against the Green Bay Packers at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Bartel-Imagn Images / Daniel Bartel-Imagn Images
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Former USC Trojans quarterback Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears once again dropped a heartbreaker of a game as they clawed back from a 14-point deficit to force overtime against division rival Minnesota Vikings, but ultimately fell short in overtime to lose 30-27. The Chicago Bears have now lost five straight games and have fallen to 4-7 on the season. In the face of another backbreaking loss, rookie quarterback and the former USC Trojan still found a way to shine through and make history.

Williams, in just his 11th game as the starter, broke the Chicago Bears rookie passing yards record and tied the Bears rookie passing yards record. It wasn’t a perfect showing by any means, but considering the change at offensive coordinator just two weeks ago and the fact that he was facing the National Football League’s fourth-best scoring offense led by defensive coordinator Brian Flores, this could be Williams's best performance of his career so far. 

"True grit, inspired the whole football team," Bears coach Matt Eberflus said of Williams’s toughness and playmaking. 

Williams was 32/47 for 340 passing yards and two passing touchdowns. Williams also held a 103.1 quarterback rating and, unfortunately, led the Bears in rushing with a 33-yard day on the ground. Williams is currently on pace for nearly 3,600 passing yards in his rookie season. He’s gone the last five games without throwing an interception, with nearly 200 passing attempts in that span.

In fact, Williams is the only quarterback in the NFL this season to have over 300 passing yards, two passing touchdowns, and no interceptions against the Vikings defense. Jared Goff, Matt Stafford, Jordan Love, Brock Purdy, CJ Stroud, and Aaron Rodgers have all faced this Vikings defense, and Williams arguably had the best performance.

The comfortability in clutch situations continues to develop for Williams. The Bears went 2/3 in fourth-down situations, and Williams led a game-tying drive with an impressive strike to DJ Moore with no timeouts remaining. Williams has shown he is comfortable in those moments.

He’s also learning to use the entire field. His passing chart shows three-level ability and a good mix of short passes and intermediate to deep throws. That balance can also be attributed to new offensive coordinator Thomas Brown. 

"He has a certain aura to him that allows you to play free," Williams said of Brown’s ability to keep him in the moment. 

There’s still plenty to work on, but the poise shown over the last two weeks after a couple of games where he began to show visible frustration has been impressive. The growth, in general, has simply been everything you could’ve hoped for after that Cardinals game. The Bears as a franchise is in purgatory, but they’ve got their quarterback. 

"We've gotten better on offense, today was a testament to that, but it's a tough loss, getting the ball in overtime and not sealing the deal," said Williams post-game. That’s the mindset to have. The records are great, but the win matters more. 

There was a long exchange between Williams and Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell after the game. The former Trojan revealed that the Vikings coach gave him words of encouragement. Williams seems to be drawing those every week lately, and that says everything. 

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Kyron Samuels
KYRON SAMUELS

Kyron Samuels is a former college and professional football player now a writer, analyst, & digital host. Kyron is a writer for USC Trojans on SI and contributes to Oregon Ducks on SI. A graduate and letterman at Jacksonville State University, Samuels was a three-year starter, two-time all-conference, and won three consecutive conference titles. After a four-year professional stint between the AFL & XFL, Samuels retired from football. In 2022, Samuels was inducted into the Fairhope Athletic Hall of Fame. Post-playing career, Samuels has become a credentialed sports media member covering the NFL, UFL, USFL, & college football. The NFL Combine, Reese’s Senior Bowl, & East-West Shrine Bowl are amongst the events Kyron has covered. As a guest and host, Samuels has been featured on ESPNRadio, FoxSportsRadio, & IHeartRadio. Outside of sports media, Samuels works as a scouting consultant and has experience coaching at the collegiate level.

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