What Went Wrong For the Bears Offense?

Tyler Stearns |

Caleb Williams had quite a boring start to his NFL career. Even in a weekend where quarterbacks significantly underperformed, he was the only one to throw for less than 100 yards.

Caleb Williams, Via NBC Sports Chicago

Being the first overall pick in the NFL draft, the expectations for him were as high as can be coming into the week one matchup versus the Tennessee Titans. He showed flashes of what he can be but mostly gave us glimpses of his collegiate past. He tried to run around defensive lineman, sidearm throws, and toss it deep but was unable to do any of the three consistently in the game.

Now, to be fair, his offensive line, specifically the interior offensive line, played horribly. They allowed pressure nearly every other play and made it harder for Williams to escape the pocket.

His receivers were open of course, and he found some quite well. His throwing on the run was great, and he made a few nice tosses to DJ Moore near the sideline.

But unfortunately, he was carried by his defense as they forced multiple turnovers including a key fourth-quarter pick-six by Tyrique Stevenson. They started slow, giving up a few third downs that should have been stopped, but quickly fixed their mistakes and ramped up the pressure on Will Levis.

But the team can't have that formula again for this weekend as they are going to play the Houston Texans, arguably a top-three offense in the league led by CJ Stroud, Nico Collins, and Tank Dell. They may be able to make some plays, but Stroud's accuracy and improvisation will make it difficult to shut down the offense consistently. The only way the Bears can win is if they fix their offensive struggles. And, to be honest, it is unlikely that this will occur considering the Texans have one of the best defensive lines in the nation. Williams may be able to learn from some of his mistakes from last weekend, but it will be tough to fully remove the 'hero-ball' mentality that he tends to have on the field. It will take some time, but the Bears offense does have the tools to become one of the better threats in the league.