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    • Caleb Williams didn’t help the Chicago Bears, but he didn’t hurt them either
    Michigan

    Caleb Williams didn’t help the Chicago Bears, but he didn’t hurt them either

    Caradoc Wyn Posted on

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    CHICAGO – Caleb Williams has accomplished something that Eli Manning, Matthew Stafford, Andrew Luck and Joe Burrow have not.

    He won his NFL debut.

    Since David Carr in 2002, no rookie quarterback selected No. 1 had won his first start until the Chicago Bears beat the Tennessee Titans 24-17 on Sunday. Granted, Williams didn’t contribute much to the win. He threw for less than 100 yards and was abysmal on third downs, and every point for Chicago came from either defense or special teams.

    But teams with the No. 1 pick usually have it for a reason, and the Bears were no exception (though they did get that particular pick thanks to last year’s trade with the Carolina Panthers). They’ve had a losing record in each of the last three seasons, and their offense has repeatedly finished in the bottom half of the NFL and at the bottom of their fans’ hearts.

    Starting the season with a win and maintaining the optimism that this long-suffering city has in Williams is no bad thing. As long as it doesn’t breed false confidence, and Williams sounded after the game like someone who knows exactly where he stands after one game of his NFL career.

    “It’s great to get that first win and we’re all excited. … (But I) understand I have to be better,” Williams said. “I’m going to be better.”

    The Bears finished the game with 148 yards of offense and averaged just 2.8 yards per play. Williams’ longest pass was 13 yards, and only three others were 10 yards or longer. He ran into fellow first-round draftee Rome Odunze once, and that was by accident.

    Williams was also sacked twice, including once for a loss of 19 yards after holding onto the ball too long.

    The pace of the game didn’t surprise him, Williams said, but he acknowledged “mistakes” and “failures” and said he had to make sure he was on the same page with his receivers and tight ends.

    “Whether you win or lose, you expect yourself to play a certain way. You expect yourself to go out there and perform a certain way and make passes. That didn’t happen today,” Williams said. “That’s enough motivation for me to go out there this week and get better and make sure I play differently this week.”

    The Titans weren’t impressed by Williams and the Bears, who are favorites to make the playoffs this season. It was their own offense and special teams that decided the game, not what Chicago did. Tennessee coach Brian Callahan said, “We just gave them the points.”

    To Williams’ credit, he didn’t help the Bears, but he didn’t hurt them either. Many other rookie QBs — including some who played here in Chicago — have gotten their teams into deep trouble by forcing things or rushing things or making plays that just don’t work at this level.

    Williams failed to intercept a single ball, and Chicago’s only fumble came on a botched kickoff return. That may be a low bar, but Williams’ avoidance of catastrophic mistakes made Chicago’s second-half comeback possible.

    Jonathan Owens sparked the comeback early in the third quarter by returning a blocked punt 21 yards for a score. It was the second touchdown of the safety’s career and was greeted with enthusiasm by his wife, Olympic gymnast Simone Biles.

    “I ALMOST HAD A HEART ATTACK,” Biles said in response to a segment on NBC’s Sunday Night Football X that included a clip of the TD.

    Cairo Santos made two field goals in the fourth to give the Bears the lead, and Tyrique Stevenson sealed the win with a 43-yard interception return for a touchdown. After allowing 17 points in the first half, the Bears didn’t allow the Titans to score in the second.

    “They were great at halftime,” Bears coach Matt Eberflus said. “They looked at each other and said, ‘We can do this.’ That’s a different attitude, a different culture that we’ve developed here over the last few years.”

    This is a small sample size, though. Rookies are allowed one “Welcome to the NFL” game, and Williams has had his now. He needs to recognize what mistakes he made and why, and learn from them so he doesn’t repeat them.

    His teammates need to step up, too. The Bears are spending big on newcomer Keenan Allen, and he was only able to catch four of 11 attempts. Some of that is Williams’ fault, but Allen let a near-certain touchdown slip through his hands.

    The running game was weak, finishing with 84 yards.

    “We have to play well with Caleb,” Eberflus said. “He’s a talent. He’s smart and knows the offense, and we just have to continue to play well with him as he grows, re-enters and improves.”

    “He’s going to learn a lot in the first three or four games as far as the look of the NFL, the speed of the NFL and all the things we have to do.”

    Statistics are all well and good, but in the NFL, only victories count. And in that respect, Williams’ debut was a complete success.

    Follow USA TODAY sports columnist Nancy Armour on social media @nrarmour.

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    Caradoc Wyn
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