Can't emphasize enough how huge an impact Tory Taylor has had in this game.
Chicago Bears 2024
Illiniaaron
- Geneseo, IL
Bears seemed to play with a lot more enthusiasm in the second half. Nice hard fought win.
May not have looked great today but the Bears are 2-2 after the first quarter of the season.
ChiefGritty
- Chicago, IL
A lot of truth in both of these I think.
In the regular season so far there has been a total inability to deliver the kind of highlight reel down the field plays that made him the number one pick. Quite a few attempts, mostly horrifically bad misses.
There are mega bust warning lights flashing, that's just reality versus his college proficiency. Successful NFL starters don't miss throws and he's been missing a ton.
AT THE SAME TIME, he was very clearly being asked to do too much and was being sped up by the complexity of the demands on him, and that part of it is totally understandable and Shane Waldron's fault. He's been placed into out-of-rhythm scenarios.
A much, much better gameplan from Waldron today. It's a bad defense at home, you don't want to overstate it, but he simplified the game for Caleb and asked him to be a steady rookie QB, and that was within Caleb's capabilities, he delivered.
If he can't take the top off the defense at the NFL level this is a doomed story, but that doesn't mean the normal rookie evolution doesn't need to happen bit by bit in the meantime.
He's played 4 NFL games. Are you kidding me with that assessment? I'm guessing you would have wanted Peyton Manning released after his rookie season. Good God, let the year play out.
That said, he also had his classic Fields moments today. He took 4 sacks because he couldn't go through his progressions and, of course, he fumbled twice.
That's what he'd do with us. He'd look like a world beater for 3.5 quarters, then the collapse.
I think Williams will be fine. He seems to have the mental/leadership makeup and some SoCal swagger to take on the Bears legacy and turn that around.
Mr. Tibbs
- southeast DuPage
I’m pretty clear in my comment
4 games in - nothing special
we have him for 3 years . he’s got a lot of time to prove himself
let’s hope it starts soon .
Illiniaaron
- Geneseo, IL
I might be overly critical of Williams here, but I thought there were about three throws toward the end zone where receivers were “NFL open” where he overthrew badly. Those are the throws he is consistently missing on. He has to get better with that but he has plenty of time.
Just throw out there that Doug Kramer is almost the exact same shape and size as Patrick Ricard, the Ravens 4x Pro Bowl fullback.
While Williams has certainly not lit the world on fire, he’s also clearly gotten better with each start. It may be baby steps, but he’s a rookie. Baby steps are allowed.
I’ll also reiterate that the expectations placed on Williams’ performance this year by the media were beyond ridiculous. They set him up such that anything short of a top 5 all time rookie performance and a winning season would be a disappointment.
The reason CJ Stroud was so amazing last year is because CJ Stroud literally has never happened before. Expecting Williams to duplicate that performance is completely unreasonable.
I’ll also reiterate that the expectations placed on Williams’ performance this year by the media were beyond ridiculous. They set him up such that anything short of a top 5 all time rookie performance and a winning season would be a disappointment.
The reason CJ Stroud was so amazing last year is because CJ Stroud literally has never happened before. Expecting Williams to duplicate that performance is completely unreasonable.
ChiefGritty
- Chicago, IL
Looking at you, Ryan Poles.
The facts we have are compatible both with Williams developing into an elite NFL QB and also picking him over chances at Stroud and Daniels being an epochal franchise-crushing catastrophe we're all telling our grandchildren about.
"Predictions are hard, especially about the future" - Yogi Berra
Its interesting that in all the post game reviews they speak of Kramer the fullback, Mini fridge etc.
No one has mentioned that if needed the guy can step in at center.
No one has mentioned that if needed the guy can step in at center.
Illinivek23
- Gurnee
Ricard block just sprung Henry on his 87 yards TD on Ravens first play tonight. Wow!
mattcoldagelli
- The Transfer Portal with Do Not Contact Tag
While I certainly would also prefer to be coached by the Steelers, and not the Bears, and not even at football, just at general life skills.......this strikes me as a very silly and dumb "story". Is Justin Fields going to say "I actually do not prefer the coaches coaching me now, at the team that currently employs me"?
Those throws should improve with more time on task with his receivers. The early "overthrow" to Moore was a result of Moore slowing down in the middle of the route. Moore owned it after the game. I'd much rather see him overthrowing those than under-throwing. An overthrow is typically an incompletion. An under-throw is a jump ball...
He looks better every week, which is about all you can ask of a rookie. He may have taken a sack or two he shouldn't have, but overall, a pretty clean game.
It's also amazing how much easier the game is for a QB when he has a competent running attack behind him.
Mr. Tibbs
- southeast DuPage
yes
I also heard that just as he was walking out Eberflus' door, when told he was being traded, he let out a 6 octave fart
Joel Goodson
- dawgville
Bears have a first quarter TD from their offense.
Yeah, the Bears are playing a bad team but it's nice to see the offense clicking in this one.
Some of us that listen to the midday show on the Score are hoping so as well.
Jaquan Brisker out for the London game. He reported concussion symptoms earlier today and did not travel with the team when they left for London tonight.