Fans didn’t want to hear Chicago Bears coach Matt Eberflus begin his Week 3 recap news conference with positive signs, but if those moments of hope came from the rookie quarterback, it’s worth some time.
Caleb Williams passed for 363 yards in Sunday’s loss. It wasn’t all against a prevent defense in garbage time, either.
“It’s not like the game was out of hand,” tight end Cole Kmet said. “There was an opportunity to come back there, so it’s not like they’re really giving up stuff.”
Before we break down the All-22, we have to address a few things. Williams turned it over three times. That’s not winning football. He has to improve there. Offensive coordinator Shane Waldron has been under scrutiny since Week 1 and it’s only gotten more intense because he’s giving no reason to think this scheme is working. At least not yet.
The run game is a mess. The offensive line hasn’t been good enough. The offense lacks consistency, explosive plays and an ability to put up points.
Other than that, there’s still something they can take from the loss to the Indianapolis Colts, specifically with a few big throws from Williams to Kmet and wide receiver Rome Odunze, and clutch third-down conversions. It’s been 72 hours of fair and understandable panic and criticism about the run game and play calling. How about a few things that worked that could be replicated Sunday against the Rams? Let’s dive in. (Screenshots courtesy of NFL+.)
No team wants to begin a game with a three-and-out, especially on the road. After a miscommunication on Williams’ back-shoulder attempt to DJ Moore, the Bears faced third-and-6. The design was simple and effective, playing to Williams’ strength.
Kmet goes in motion, and the safety following him is too far away to make a play on a quick route, which is exactly what the Bears had dialed up. Kmet gets to the sticks, turns around and Williams puts it on him for a 7-yard gain and a first down.
It’s a quick pass, and the Colts didn’t blitz, but this is what it looks like when Williams has a pocket, can set and make his throw.
Early in the second quarter, we finally saw a deep ball from Williams to Odunze. It was the team’s longest play of the season. Odunze goes in motion, running almost a wheel route down the left sideline. Moore is running a hitch route, running back Khalil Herbert is heading to the flat after the play fake and tight end Marcedes Lewis and receiver DeAndre Carter stay in for max protection.
The deep safety isn’t going to get to the sideline in time, and Williams has what he should want often — Odunze in one-on-one coverage.
“Every day, we get about 10 to 15 passes with each other after practice. And so certain passes like that and a lot of times the deep downfield balls are the more rhythm routes that you have to try and keep your receiver in stride,” Williams said after the game. “He had a great route, made a great catch and gave us a chance.”
.@RomeOdunze has entered the chat 💬 pic.twitter.com/oBNKFfuody
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) September 24, 2024
The key for the Bears to finally get a deep ball was the protection. The Colts didn’t blitz, the Bears were able to double-team, and Williams had a clean pocket.
On the next drive, Williams got another chunk play to Odunze thanks in part to a play fake on first down. Odunze is running a deep over route behind Indianapolis’ linebackers, who don’t get sucked all the way in by the fake handoff, but enough.
The result is Odunze has space behind the linebackers, and the safety is occupied by the deep route. Williams puts it on Odunze for 27 yards.
To start the second half, once again the Bears get a first down thanks to a play-action pass from under center. What do you know? You can see the Colts moving with the fake to the right, with Kmet running an over route and Odunze going deep.
The Colts’ defensive end, though, isn’t fooled and has beaten tight end Gerald Everett, giving him a clear path to Williams.
Then Williams made a special play, the type of “wow” that sets him apart. He spun around the defender and made an off-balance strike to Kmet for 15 yards.
Some of Williams’ best, most efficient plays have been quick slants. The problem is we haven’t seen enough of them. On third-and-5 early in the fourth quarter, while trailing 14-3, Odunze wins at the top of his route, shaking the linebacker, and Williams hits him in stride.
Williams converted three third downs on this touchdown drive, including this one on third-and-6 from the Colts’ 11-yard line. Kmet sits down in the zone between two linebackers and Williams rifles it to him for an 8-yard gain.
Two drives later, it’s second-and-4 from the Colts’ 36-yard line. Kmet runs his route behind the linebacker and in front of the safety and Williams fires it for the 19-yard gain and a first down.
“I look at that seam route he threw late in the fourth quarter that he drove the ball on me on — they’re preventing those type of throws from happening,” Kmet said. “That was really an unbelievable throw by him to fit that in between the hook defender, so that was some really good stuff.”
The Colts didn’t send an extra rusher, and the Bears’ offensive line created a clean pocket for Williams.
“All those things are applicable,” Kmet said of the fourth-quarter production. “And you saw him get in a groove there, and that was really good to see from his end and you could feel his confidence growing as the game went on despite some of the negative plays that happened.”
It’s too simple to say, “As long as Williams has time to throw and players get open, the offense will start clicking.” But the Bears can take those two touchdown drives and see what worked. Williams made the right reads and was accurate. He found a good connection with Kmet, especially on third down, and got Odunze going.
The offense has a long way to go, but we shouldn’t ignore those 14 points. We shouldn’t ignore the production from Kmet and Odunze. The Bears won’t, they just have to make it more consistent, have it come earlier in the game and surround it with more successful plays.
That’s all.
(Top photo: Marc Lebryk / Imagn Images)
