Disappointment is the only common thread in the development of Bears quarterbacks since Sid Luckman retired. What looked like a watershed moment too often becomes a false positive in retrospect.
As it turned out, Mitch Trubisky throwing six touchdown passes against the Buccaneers in 2018 wasn’t a breakthrough. Neither was Justin Fields’ record-setting performance against the Dolphins in 2022 (178 rushing yards, plus three touchdown passes), nor his back-to-back games with four touchdown passes against the Broncos and Commanders last season.
On paper, Caleb Williams’ “breakout” performance against the Panthers on Sunday fits the category of false positives. He completed 20 of 29 passes for 304 yards and two touchdowns without an interception or fumble for a 126.2 passer rating. But, like Trubisky and Fields, his big moment came against one of the NFL’s worst defenses. The Panthers came in ranked 32nd in the NFL in scoring defense.
When Williams throws five touchdown passes and puts up 39 points against a top-10 defense, like Texans rookie C.J. Stroud did last year against a Buccaneers defense ranked sixth in points allowed at the time, let the premature celebration begin.
That might come eventually. While the latest Bears quarterback-development scenario looks awfully similar on paper, the eye test still confirms a significant distinction — that Williams still is the best quarterback prospect the Bears have ever had. And he still has better weapons than Trubisky and Fields had.
The x-factor at this point is coordinator Shane Waldron, who in the first four weeks of the season looked like he hadn’t bothered to read the instructions before playing with a cool new toy.
In the last two weeks, it looks like Waldron has realized his mistakes. It’s rarely a good thing when the new OC needs a leadership-council intervention in Week 4, but it’s looking like the Bears hired an offensive coordinator who not only is a good teacher, but more importantly, a good learner. As Jay Cutler knows all too well, not every offensive coordinator is that open-minded.
It seems like every time Waldron is challenged following some apparent or obvious misstep, he figures it out.
He heard about it after tight end Cole Kmet played just 27 of 56 snaps in the opener against the Titans. Since then, Kmet has played in 82.7% of the offensive snaps.
He heard about it after botching a first-and-goal situation at the 4-yard line against the Colts — with bad blocking matchups and an ill-advised and ill-fated option play on fourth-and-goal at the 1 that lost 12 yards. He responded by using 6-2, 300-pound center Doug Kramer in the backfield on short-yardage plays against the Rams, and the Bears have scored four touchdowns from the 1 with Kramer on the field.
Waldron heard about it after the Bears rushed for 63 yards on 28 carries against a Colts defense that was gashed for 251 yards on 53 carries the previous week. Since then, the Bears had 28 carries for 131 yards against the Rams, and 39 carries for 128 yards against the Panthers.
He heard about the Bears lack of first-quarter scoring — just three points in four games — and the Bears responded with a first-quarter touchdown against the Panthers. In fact, they scored more points in the first half Sunday (27) than they had in the first four games combined (23).
And Waldron heard it when it Williams’ chemistry with DJ Moore looked like Cutler’s chemistry with Devin Hester. On Sunday, Moore caught five passes for 105 yards and two touchdowns against the Panthers.
That might be more a credit to Williams and Moore than Waldron, but the OC gets all the blame for things going wrong, it’s fair to give him credit for things going right. The goods news for the Bears is that Shane Waldron seems to be making just as much progress as Caleb Williams.
2. The beleaguered Bears offensive line, which has struggled against even poor defenses this season, was credible against the Panthers, and didn’t flinch when left guard Teven Jenkins left after injuring his ankle in the second quarter after 38 snaps.
Bill Murray, a 2020 undrafted free agent as a defensive lineman from William & Mary who had never played a snap on offense in the NFL, replaced Jenkins and might have played better. He looks certain to get another shot if Jenkins can’t play Sunday. That the Bears did not use Nate Davis in that situation speaks loud and clear.
3. The NFL schedule-maker is giving Waldron, Williams and the Bears offense every chance to get its footing before facing the Packers, Vikings and Lions six times in the final eight weeks.
After playing the Rams (29th in scoring) and Panthers (32nd), the Bears play the Jaguars (30th), Commanders (20th), Cardinals (27th) and Patriots (ninth, but with the 31st-ranked offense) before playing the Packers on Nov. 17 at Soldier Field.
4. For What It’s Worth Dept.: While the Panthers are a poor defense, Williams has taken advantage better than most. His 304 passing yards are the most against the Panthers this season (Joe Burrow, 232). His 126.2 passer rating is second (Derek Carr, 142.5). And his 10.5 yards per attempt is the most against the Panthers (Carr, 8.7).
5. With 424 total yards in their 36-10 victory over the Panthers, the Bears are now 26-25 (.510) when they gain 400 or more yards over the last 20 seasons. They were the only team in the NFL without a winning record in that span. The league average is 51-24 (.680). The Packers are 69-22-1 (.755). Even the Jets are 32-11 (.744).
6. If experience in London games matters, the Bears might want to feed the Big Dog on Sunday. Tight end Marcedes Lewis has played in five London games — four with the Jaguars and one with the Packers — and had the biggest game of his career there.
With the Jaguars in 2017, Lewis caught three touchdown passes from Blake Bortles (17, 30 and four yards) in a 44-7 victory over the Ravens at Wembley Stadium. He had four catches for 62 yards overall.
7. The Bears have nine active players who have played in London before, including five starters (defensive tackle Andrew Billings, safety Kevin Byard, wide receivers Moore and Keenan Allen and center Coleman Shelton. The Jaguars, who have played in London every year since 2013 (except 2020 due to the pandemic), have 19 starters and 30 players overall who have played in at least on London game.
Last year, the Jaguars beat the Falcons 23-7 and the Bills 25-20 in London and fast starts played a role in both victories. They took a 17-0 lead in the first half against the Falcons, and an 11-0 lead after the first quarter against the Bills.
8. Quick Hits — The Bears have allowed 21 points or fewer in 11 consecutive games — the longest active streak in the NFL, and the Bears’ longest streak since 2005 under Lovie Smith (12). … Defensive tackle Gervon Dexter has four sacks in five games. The Eagles’ Jalen Carter has no sacks in four games. … Andrew Billings on the key to his sack of former teammate Andy Dalton: “Nobody blocked me.” … The Bears’ 424 total yards was the 10th highest total in the NFL in Week 5. … The offensive line of Braxton Jones, Murray, Shelton, Matt Pryor and Darnell Wright was the Bears’ 48th different combination in 39 games under Matt Eberflus.
9. Ex-Bears Player of the Week: Falcons wide receiver Darnell Mooney had nine receptions for 105 yards and two touchdowns (24, 12 yards) in a 36-30 overtime victory against the Buccaneers.
Mooney, a three-time winner of this award already this season, has 24 receptions for 330 yards and three touchdowns this season. He had 31 receptions for 414 yards and one touchdown in 15 games with the Bears last season.
10. Bear-ometer — 8-9: vs. Jaguars in London (W); at Commanders (L); at Cardinals (L); vs. Patriots (W); vs. Packers (L); vs. Vikings (W); at Lions (L); at 49ers (L); at Vikings (L); vs. Lions (W); vs. Seahawks (W); at Packers (L).