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Bears’ message to Caleb Williams amid struggles hits right note for rookie QB originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
LAKE FOREST, Ill. — Caleb Williams isn’t the first rookie quarterback to enter the NFL with immense expectations only to struggle out of the gate.
He won’t be the last.
Williams arrived in Chicago and was greeted with a hero’s welcome. The “generational” signal-caller was expected to immediately slot into an offense armed to the gills with playmakers and lead the Bears to their planned ascension.
Then, the NFL hit Williams and the Bears in the mouth right out of the gate.
Through two games, Williams has thrown for just 267 yards while completing just 56.6 percent of his passes. The USC product has thrown two interceptions and has yet to find the end zone.
Football is the ultimate team game. The blame for the Bears’ offensive struggles doesn’t lie solely at Williams’ feet. He was erratic in his NFL debut, missing several passes he normally hits. He played much better in Week 2 but was the victim of a porous Bears’ offensive line that allowed him to be sacked seven times and pressured on 23 of 48 dropbacks against the Houston Texans, per Next Gen Stats. The Bears’ offensive line ranks 30th in pass-block win rate through two weeks, per ESPN stats.
Still, 267 yards and zero touchdowns are not what Williams or the Bears expected after an offseason that had them crowned as the NFL’s next up-and-coming team.
However, the Bears also spent the past eight months building the right support system for Williams to deal with the expected turbulence that rookie quarterbacks face.
Williams expected more to start his career. Everyone did. But the Bears are focused on helping Williams navigate the bumps while growing into the star his talent suggests.
That takes one thing above all else — patience.
“Just be steady,” head coach Matt Eberflus said Friday at Halas Hall when asked for his message to Williams. “The NFL, if you want to ride the roller coaster, you can, but you…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/bears-message-caleb-williams-amid-232950624.html
Author : NBC Sports Chicago
Publish date : 2024-09-20 23:29:50
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