The Chicago Bears have hit a rough patch in their season, and it couldn’t have come at a worse time. Right before their bye week, it seemed as though quarterback Caleb Williams had finally found his footing and was leading the team to success. However, in their last three games, the Bears have suffered three consecutive losses, and Williams’ performance has been less than stellar.
In their most recent game against the New England Patriots, the Bears were unable to score a single touchdown and finished with a measly 142 yards. Williams was sacked nine times and only managed to pass for 120 yards. This is a major concern for the Bears as they enter the toughest part of their schedule.
Williams himself acknowledged the need for improvement, stating, “We have to do a better job, starting with us, starting with myself, at situational ball, negative plays and things like that. When you’re good at not having negative plays, when you’re good at executing, when you’re good at executing situational ball, you’re a tough team to beat.”
The Bears’ offense has been struggling, and it’s clear that changes need to be made. During a post-game media availability, head coach Matt Eberflus took full responsibility for the team’s performance, stating, “The whole operation of it, offense, defense, kicking. That’s the job of the head coach.” He also mentioned that everything is on the table, including having someone other than offensive coordinator Shane Waldron call the plays.
Former Bears coach Dave Wannstedt believes that Eberflus needs to take a more hands-on approach and sit in on the offensive meetings this week. “I would go in those offensive meetings,” Wannstedt said. “I would sit in every meeting this week – players, coaches, and say, ‘This is what I want to do. You guys tell me how we’re going to do this.'”
Wannstedt also believes that the offense needs to change, whether it’s through a different play-caller or a change in strategy. “Something needs to happen. Otherwise, if nothing changes, you can expect the same results,” he said.
But what about Caleb Williams? The No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft has had a rough start to his professional career. In his first matchup against the two quarterbacks taken right after him in the draft, Williams lost to both Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye. This is a concerning trend for the Bears, who had won three games in a row before their current losing streak.
During their win streak, Williams had been playing well, completing 74% of his passes for 687 yards and seven touchdowns with only one interception. However, since their bye week, something seems to have gone wrong. Williams has completed just 50.5% of his passes for 468 yards in the past three games, with no touchdowns and no interceptions. He has also been sacked a total of 18 times.
But despite the struggles, Eberflus remains confident in Williams, stating, “Caleb’s strong. He’s strong inside. He’s strong outside. He’s a strong individual. And he’s been through adversity. And he knows how to do this, he knows how to get through adversity by pulling together.”
One of the major factors contributing to the Bears’ offensive struggles is the injuries to their offensive line. In their most recent game, they were without three key players, and two others were unable to play due to injuries. This has left the Bears with a patchwork offensive line, making it difficult for Williams to perform at his best.
Unfortunately, the Bears are heading into the most difficult part of their schedule with a depleted offensive line. They have upcoming games against tough opponents like the Green Bay Packers, Detroit Lions, and Minnesota Vikings, as well as a trip to San Francisco and a home game against Seattle.
Williams and the Bears know that they need to find a way to turn things around quickly. “I think us, as an offense, we do have to find it right now here in this instance just because we’re going, we’re getting close to, and it starts this week, playing teams like Green Bay and Detroit and Vikings and all of that,” Williams said.
The Bears will have a chance to redeem themselves this Sunday when they take on the Green Bay Packers at home. It will be a tough matchup, but the Bears are determined to bounce back and get
