The Prolonged Defeats of the Bears Highlight Problems beyond Caleb Williams' Influence
The Prolonged Defeats of the Bears Highlight Problems beyond Caleb Williams' Influence
Jayden Daniels continues to impress in clutch situations with the Washington Commanders. Bo Nix keeps the Denver Broncos in playoff contention heading into the NFL's final week.
Meanwhile, Caleb Williams, the initial pick amongst six quarterbacks chosen in the top 12 of the 2024 draft, is approaching the end of his debut season with the Chicago Bears labeled as the quarterback of a team that lost an all-time franchise record 11 consecutive games.
He yearns for an upset against Green Bay that would halt the streak at 10, but the Bears enter the match as 10-point underdogs against a team that beat them with a field goal block in their first encounter. Williams contributed directly to 301 of Chicago's 391 total yards that fateful day — 231 passing on 23 of 31 completions and 70 yards on nine runs — but the effort fell short of victory.
This rookie season has been an uphill battle for the top pick, bearing resemblance to the clouds that seemed to perpetually shadow his predecessor, Justin Fields. The comparison, however, is unwarranted.
Pro Football Focus assigns Williams a 67.7 grade, placing him at the 32nd spot among 42 eligible quarterbacks — right between Dak Prescott and Mac Jones. Fields held a 64.2 grade in 2021, his inaugural year, which ranked him 29th out of 37 eligible quarterbacks who played enough to qualify.
Williams took control as the starting quarterback from Week 1 this season, amassing 3393 passing yards, with 19 touchdowns and a mere 6 interceptions. This season already boasts the fifth best passing yardage performance in franchise history - 445 yards short of Erik Kramer's record set in 1995 - with the potential to enter the top three if he achieves 273 yards against Green Bay on Sunday.
The circumstances surrounding the Bears' 2021 and 2024 seasons differ significantly. The Bears were a veteran team in 2021, aiming for playoffs after posting a 28-20 record over the past 3 seasons. Contrastingly, Williams landed in a pool of uncertainty following a 3-season span in which the Bears registered a 15-35 win-loss record.
Williams was projected as the miracle worker capable of delivering immediate success in an offense featuring D.J. Moore, Keenan Allen, Rome Odunze, Cole Kmet, and D'Andre Swift. Regrettably, the Bears failed to support their rookie quarterback, not the other way around.
The issues plaguing Williams' rookie season were all too evident:
—The offensive line, a confusing web of inconsistency that requires rebuilding. Only right tackle Darnell Wright, drafted 10th overall in 2023 by GM Ryan Poles after trading the first pick to Carolina, appears to be a long-term fixture after a season that cast doubt on left tackle Braxton Jones and guard Teven Jenkins, who both missed significant time due to injuries for the fourth consecutive year. Both may have missed opportunities for lucrative contract extensions. Poles only made temporary adjustments in the center, and its unclear if he will continue to employ Coleman Shelton, signed only for 2024, and Ryan Bates, who has played just 3 games. Tackle Kiran Amegadjie, a third-round pick in '24 from Yale, remains a project. The only depth player to truly shine —according to PFF scores — was guard Bill Murray, who unfortunately suffered a torn pectoral muscle in late October.
—The defense, damaged by inflated expectations. The Bears managed to improve a sub-standard defense in the final two months of 2023, following the acquisition of edge rusher Montez Sweat, who was rewarded with a four-year $98 million extension. However, the departure of Andrew Billings exposed flaws within the unit this season. The Bears conceded 18.5 points in 8 games prior to Billings undergoing surgery for a pec tear; they have conceded 25 points per game without him, currently ranking 25th with a 353.4 yard average allowed per game. Defensive backs Jaylon Johnson, Kyler Gordon, Kevin Byard, and Elijah Hicks have received positive reviews from PFF but the defensive line has underperformed, and the linebacker core has failed to justify the investment in Tremaine Edmunds (four years, $72 million in 2023).
— Leadership, a question mark. It's been a dozen seasons since Lovie Smith was let go (surprisingly enough, after recording a 10-6 record) and the McCaskey family continues their search for direction. Poles, with only a single year remaining on his 4-year contract, is responsible for finding the team's sixth head coach since Smith. Williams hasn't merely played for two head coaches as a rookie but also three offensive coordinators (Shane Waldron, Brown, and Chris Beatty). If the Bears don't consider extending Poles' contract soon, it could be seen as them holding him accountable for Williams' subpar debut season as much as Eberflus and Waldron.
Warren has stated that the Bears' job will be "the most coveted" among NFL coaching vacancies this year. If true, this largely stems from the perception of how highly Williams is regarded. The rest of the appeal is debatable.
In the world of sports business, Caleb Williams' performance with the Chicago Bears has drawn significant attention, potentially impacting the team's financial strategies.
Moreover, the sports world closely follows the financial implications of Quarterback performances, as demonstrated by the impressive earnings of successful athletes in the NFL.