Finally, Chicago Bears fans got to applaud some highlights from Caleb Williams.
The Bears got off to a slow start in Saturday’s preseason game, which marked Williams’ debut at Soldier Field. They had three assists and three punts in the first quarter. They did get a field goal early in the second quarter, but that was mostly due to a defensive pass interference penalty downfield. It looked like a quiet follow-up to Williams’ impressive preseason debut.
Williams then completed a pass that rocked Chicago and had a touchdown run that showcased his athleticism.
Just before the two-minute warning, Williams darted to his left, contorted his body and threw an impressive pass to fellow rookie Rome Odunze for a 45-yard gain. Bears fans can get used to that kind of play.
A very nice throw from Williams toward the end zone as he rolled just after escaping the rush would have been another highlight, but Odunze’s feet were out of bounds when he caught it. Williams made the catch.
On third-and-goal, Williams continued to elude the rush, swerved to his left and found a path to the end zone for a touchdown run. His day wasn’t perfect, but those two plays were reminders of why Williams was the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft.
Overall, the Bears offense had a lot of work to do. Given the excitement surrounding the No. 1 overall pick, which grew even more after a strong preseason debut, it seemed like Williams would never have a bad game for the Bears. It was easy to forget that he was still just a rookie.
It’s a good thing the Bears offense got its act together at the end, because there wasn’t much positive to be found after a quarter and a half.
The Bears wanted Williams to make some throws on his first series, and it didn’t go well. He threw too high to Keenan Allen on first down, threw behind Gerald Everett on second down and threw the ball away on third down when nothing was opening up. A three-and-out with three consecutive incomplete passes isn’t what Bears fans were hoping for when they first got a glimpse of Williams.
The first quarter continued to be a grind. Williams threw short on a couple of completions. He threw an incomplete pass on third down to a fully covered DJ Moore on a slant, and it was easily deflected. At least rookie kicker Tory Taylor had a good showing, averaging 50 yards per punt in the first quarter.
Given how quickly the Bears’ first four series went, the coaching staff also had the starting offense on the field for the second quarter. On the first series of the second quarter, Odunze got a first down on a trick play. Williams threw deep to Tyler Scott and it was a nice pass, and the Bears got 43 yards on defensive pass interference. Then the drive stalled. Then there was a false start, a sack, a loss on a second-and-21 screen pass, a short, safe pass and a field goal. It was at least some positive momentum.
Williams’ final possession will be what…
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