In the minutes following the Bears’ 6-3 loss to the Seahawks on Thursday night, quarterback Caleb Williams laid out what his expectations were for his rookie season.
“Just being able to, from start to finish, to be able to be consistent all season,” he said. “Obviously their job on the defensive side is to be able to provide the inconsistencies in things like that. But find ways just to be consistent and play good football, consistent football when the ball is in my hand.”
He hasn’t done that, but he has a chance to cross one item off that list. Next week against the Packers he can become the first Bears quarterback to start every game in a 17-game season, and the first Bears passer to start every game in a season of any length since Jay Cutler did it in 2009.
The better question is whether Williams should be allowed to do so. The Bears’ season is so lost, their offense so miserable, that it no longer seems like a good idea.
The Bears have promoted the value of Williams getting as many snaps as possible all season long, dismissing the notion of benching him at any point during the team’s 10-games-and-counting losing streak. But haven’t we seen enough of the broken Bears offense? Twelve NFL games this season have featured one team totaling less than 180 yards. Amazingly, the Bears did it four times — against the Patriots, Titans, 49ers and Seahawks.
There have been 26 games this season in which a starting quarterback has thrown for less than 125 yards and no touchdowns in a game; Williams has done it three times, and no one else has more than twice.
There’s not much to extrapolate for Williams next season, either. Williams is playing under an offensive play-caller, interim head coach Thomas Brown, who likely won’t be part of the Bears next season. Thursday, he played behind four starting offensive linemen who aren’t under contract for next season — everyone but right tackle Darnell Wright. Two — left tackle Larry Borom and left guard Jake Curhan, serving as injury replacements — gave up a combined five pressures. Curhan was flagged for holding on a touchdown and a false start on fourth-and-one.
Williams was sacked a whopping seven times, and could have avoided at least four of them by throwing the ball away. His season total is up to 67, the most by any player since 2005. If the Packers sack him nine times next week — the Bears have let that happen once already this season, against the Patriots — he’ll tie David Carr’s 2002 season for the most sacks ever taken.
“Anytime you take multiple hits throughout a season or throughout a game, I mean they add up, obviously,” Williams said. “Just as with anybody, if you get hit more often, more often than not, you start to feel those a little bit more. Recovery and things like that are really important. And when you take a bunch of hits or anything like that, whatever position you are, recovery and all that is super important.
“And got one more game. Got to go out and recover and get ready for the next game.”
The notion of continuity rings hollow, though, when there’s a coaching staff and roster overhaul beginning the minute the Packers game ends.
If the Bears were playing anyone other than their rival, perhaps sitting Williams would be more likely. The McCaskeys hate losing to the Packers — even their backups — and have plenty of practice lately. The Packers have won 11-straight rivalry games.
The best argument for Williams playing might be what would happen if he didn’t. For all of the Bears’ struggles this season, perhaps the greatest indignity would be snapping the losing streak with backup Tyson Bagent, and not the No. 1 overall pick, under center.