The Bears struggled around quarterback Caleb Williams in their 19-13 loss to the Texans on Sunday and definitely need a better offensive line, a strong running game and more consistent play.

But Williams is not off the hook just because he is a rookie. Not at all.

While every rookie needs a period of adjustment, he has been touted as the most NFL-ready draft prospect in years and has found a good infrastructure for someone at his position. Most rookie quarterbacks don’t have that many talented players or a defense that can seemingly keep the game within reach no matter how hard they struggle.

Some of Williams’ performance in Houston showed an improvement from the opening game, when he threw for just 93 yards. Against the Texans, he completed 23 of 37 passes for 174 yards and his throws were more accurate overall, although he still had some missed throws.

But as Williams tried to improve his game, he became reckless, throwing two interceptions and another that was nullified by a Texans penalty. It’s clear he’s still learning that some of the incredible plays he made in college aren’t viable in the NFL.

Here’s a closer look at the film:

From page to page

Williams made by far his most blatant call of the game midway through the third quarter, and technically he got away with it.

On second-and-9 at his own 35-yard line, Williams ran to his right and then threw the ball over his body and across the field to Rome Odunze on the left sideline. Everything about it looked bad and he sent the ball over Odunze to Texans cornerback Kamari Lassiter.

“You never want to throw all over the field in a scramble because (defenders) have more time and space to get closer,” coach Matt Eberflus said Monday. “It’s just a great learning experience for him and an opportunity to learn from it.”

Luckily for Williams, it didn’t count as linebacker Henry To’oTo’o was flagged for defensive holding.

Two actual interceptions

The Bears had eight possessions in the second half, five of which saw them trail by just one point and have a chance to take the lead. They were never completely out of the lead, but Williams’ interceptions on consecutive drives at the end of the third quarter and the start of the fourth were crucial in the Texans taking control.

Williams was mad at himself because interceptions “aren’t for me” and “aren’t really my thing.” In 37 games in college, he threw just 14 interceptions, but in the NFL, the passing windows close much faster.

Williams’ first interception came on third-and-16 at his own 40-yard line, and he threw the pass short to DJ Moore on the left sideline. Texans cornerback Derek Stingley was in front of Moore and had a much better angle on the ball than he did when he made the interception.

Eberflus called it a “50-50” ball, suggesting that Moore had to fight harder to intercept the ball, but Williams’ underthrow was more problematic. Moore would have had a better chance if Williams had hit the ball to the sideline.

On the next play, the play was ruined almost immediately when Texans defensive end Danielle Hunter spun past right tackle Darnell Wright and fired a clean shot at Williams. He grabbed him by the shoulders before Williams escaped, ripping his jersey. He then rolled to his right and threw on the run to tight end Cole Kmet on the right sideline in triple coverage.

It would have taken an absolutely perfect pass to complete that, but Williams was not on his feet properly and was again short. Lassiter caught the ball well in front of Kmet, and there was no ??? a chance for Kmet to knock it down.

Footwork is crucial

Throws continued to be a problem for Williams, and one of his most consequential misses came on the first drive of the third quarter when DeAndre Carter got one step ahead of his defender heading toward the left sideline. That easily could have been converted on third-and-3, but the Bears were forced to punt instead.

As with the interception intended for Kmet, Williams’ footwork was questionable. As he evaded pressure in the pocket, he took a small leap as he threw the ball with his left foot.

Williams did that successfully many times at USC and showed glimpses of it in training camp and preseason games, but Eberflus wants to focus more on fundamentals. He seemed to be echoing a coach’s point, or perhaps getting Williams’ attention, when he talked about his accuracy on Monday.

“Quarterbacks talk about throwing off the platform and all that stuff, but they still have both feet on the ground and do a good job of moving their shoulders and getting their feet toward the target area,” Eberflus said. “It’s important that we start from the ground up, and he’s no different than any other quarterback.”

Also some good

It wasn’t all bad. The film offered some hope, as Williams completed 62 percent of his passes – up from 48 percent in his debut – and nearly doubled his yardage total from Week 1.

Here are three of his sharp moves:

– His throw to Carter down the right sideline on the opening drive, when he went 5-for-5, was accurate and timely, and his footwork was exemplary.

– He stayed in the pocket and was put in position with a clear throw to Moore to convert a third-and-three with a 16-yard pass late in the first half.

– His pass to Kmet on third down and third down with about five minutes left showed good recognition and determination, and his throw helped Kmet gain seven yards and 12 yards after the catch.