Chicago Bears' Caleb Williams Shines Despite Gut-Wrenching Loss to Green Bay Packers
Led by former USC Trojans quarterback Caleb Williams, the Chicago Bears dropped to 4-6 after a gut-wrenching home loss against dreaded NFC North division opponent, the Green Bay Packers. After a seesaw contest that saw the Bears and their rookie quarterback down 20-19 with less than three minutes remaining, they had one drive to pull off the upset and leave with a much-needed victory.
Williams did not flinch under pressure and drove the Bears down the field, converting a fourth down with the game in the balance to get them into field-goal range. After questionable clock management from Chicago coach Matt Eberflus, the Bears settled for a 46-yard field goal. The Packers blocked the game-winning attempt as time expired and won the ball game. Williams finished 23/31 for 231 passing yards and nine rushing attempts for 70 rushing yards.
“I’d put those guys back on the field and do it all over if we had to. I believe in those guys,” said Williams after the game.
"They were a loaded box there, you could say you could run another play and try for a couple of yards there, but you risk a fumble," said Eberflus of his decision against attempting to get into better field goal range with 35 seconds and available timeouts.
Loss aside, Williams looked like the player he was developing into during the first seven games of the season, and a lot of that was due to a change at offensive coordinator. Change is inevitable. Sometimes good, sometimes bad. Sometimes necessary, sometimes not.
For the Chicago Bears, there was no doubt change needed to be made after a three-game losing streak that featured abysmal offensive showings. Offensive coordinator Shane Waldron was relieved of his duties, and Thomas Brown was named in his place. The first game under the new coordinator yielded some solid returns.
"Thomas being in control, getting a few calls in super fast. . . . He just strung plays together pretty well." Williams said of new offensive coordinator Thomas Brown after his first game.
One of the more notable improvements was the success on third and fourth down. Over the span of their previous three games, the Bears were six for 40 on third down. Today, the Bears were 9-16 on third down and 3-3 on fourth down. Some of the improvement can be attributed to the play calling, some can be assigned to the playmakers on the perimeter. Mainly, it was Williams stepping up and making plays.
Another positive sign was Williams in the run game, whether it was a designed run or the improvisation that Williams is known for. The decisiveness Williams operated with is a building block that reignites the hope that the rookie is still on the right path. Twice this season, Williams has done his part and put the Bears in position to win games, but the team has fallen short twice.
Again, the loss hurts more than anything. Bears faithful are rightfully tired of waiting, but there is clearly something to be excited about with Caleb Williams.
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