Bears rookie quarterback Caleb Williams was neither spectacular nor victorious last Sunday against the Packers, but his steady performance was reassuring after watching him in freefall for three games in a row.
Williams’ ability to pull out of that was crucial as he tries to get his career off the ground and eventually lead the Bears to something better than what they’ve been stuck in for the last several seasons. Completing 74.2% of his passes, totaling 301 yards passing and rushing and posting a 95.0 passer rating in a loss was hardly parade-worthy, but it reestablished his footing.
That’s how virtually everyone around him saw it, anyway. Williams, however, downplayed it in terms of being a confidence boost.
‘‘I wouldn’t say it did anything for me mentally,’’ he said. ‘‘After the third game, I realized that I can play and I feel good playing. Regardless of the interceptions at the beginning of the season, I was seeing the field well, and that still stands today.
‘‘There’s going to be rough times, rough patches over the long, healthy career that I hopefully have, and that’s not going to change my mindset.’’
For everyone else, it was a relief.
To make games such as the one against the Packers unremarkable, Williams must stack up more like it — and better ones. He gets that. Every time he has made progress, he has been measured in his perspective about it being merely a starting point.
His whole season is that, really, especially after the Bears plunged out of the playoff race with four consecutive losses. The most important thing, by far, about the last seven games is Williams setting his trajectory for 2025 and beyond.
The first half of the season, which was loaded with most of the Bears’ weaker opponents, was NFL 101. The advanced classes are in the second half, and none will be tougher to pass than what he’ll encounter Sunday against the Vikings. Defensive coordinator Brian Flores is known for dialing up the most confusing blitzes in the league.
Williams will get two shots at the Vikings, first Sunday at Soldier Field and then Dec. 16 in Minneapolis. The Bears’ chances of winning either game hinge on how quickly he catches on to Flores.
It’s also a huge part of his big-picture development, and coach Matt Eberflus said this is ‘‘a great game’’ for Williams — with the help of new offensive coordinator Thomas Brown — to demonstrate his ability to adapt from play-to-play ‘‘just because of the variation that you get’’ from Flores in terms of defensive fronts and personnel.
The Bears’ remaining seven games are against decent-to-great defenses and teams in the top half of the NFL in pressuring quarterbacks, so any steps forward Williams takes will be hard-earned and legitimate.
The Vikings are fourth in the league in points allowed, first in pressure and second in takeaways. Then Williams will turn around on Thanksgiving to face the Lions, who are fifth in points allowed, 10th in pressure and fifth in takeaways. Both teams rank among the top eight in opponent passer rating and third-down defense, too.
Good progress for Williams also would mean maximizing his connection with wide receiver Rome Odunze, a fellow rookie and an essential partner going forward. Odunze got a team-high 10 targets against the Packers — ‘‘my guy,’’ Williams called him — and caught six passes for 65 yards. That included back-to-back catches on third and fourth down with the game on the line.
‘‘We’re just in the beginning phase of this thing,’’ said Odunze, who leads the Bears with 479 yards receiving. ‘‘I have big aspirations, and [being] one of the best quarterback/wide receiver duos is at the top of my goal sheet. . . . We’ve got to go do big things.’’
Realistically, those ‘‘big things’’ probably won’t result in a shocking playoff run. But every gain Williams makes the rest of the season is massive for his future.