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The Chicago Bears are 1-2 in Caleb Williams's rookie season. They asked the young signal caller to throw 52 times on Sunday against the Colts but it did not work, falling 21-16. There were four plays where Williams did not throw, a Bears red zone possession that ended in a turnover on downs. Williams was frustrated by that sequence in the postgame, per Courtney Cornin of ESPN.
“It is frustrating. We were that close and you get four attempts right there, Cronin posted on social media. “I think we were below the 5 (yard line) for four attempts. To not get in in those moments, it definitely gets frustrating.”
The drive happened late in the first half with the Colts leading the Bears 7-0. They could have kicked a field goal and gone into the half down four points. Head coach Matt Eberflus and offensive coordinator Shane Waldron decided against that and went for it on fourth down. Despite three straight failed runs, D'Andre Swift was handed the ball again. He was taken down for a 12-yard loss.
While there was plenty of time remaining in the game, this drive exemplified the season so far for the Bears. Williams has not been spectacular and they have found ways to lose in consecutive weeks. They must figure out their offensive woes before the season gets away from them.
Bears must stop frustrating offensive drives
While it is always difficult to win with a rookie quarterback, this Bears team is set up to do it. In Week 1, their defense and special teams secured the victory despite Williams not cracking 100 passing yards. When Williams throws for 363 yards, the Bears need to win those games.
The NFC North has produced many surprising results through the first two weeks. Sam Darnold has led the Vikings to a 3-0 record and Malik Willis has strung together two straight wins. The Bears must start winning if they want to salvage this season and make the playoffs.
Their next two games could end in two victories, with the short-handed Rams and Andy Dalton's Panthers both coming to Chicago. While anything can happen in the NFL, the offense should continue to rack up yards in these games. Waldron must get in the lab with Williams and develop better red zone plays than what they showed on this particular drive in Week 3.
Caleb Williams has higher expectations than most first-overall selections because of the pre-draft hype. It is understandable why he is frustrated after a winnable game slipped through his fingers on Sunday.
