Caleb Williams

Caleb Williams' NFL career has not gotten off to the hottest start, and the personnel around him may be to blame.

The Chicago Bears fell to 1-2 on the season after a 21-16 loss to the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday. Williams went 33-of-52 for 363 yards and two touchdowns with two interceptions and four sacks in the loss.

While the performance was an improvement in some ways for Williams, his interceptions and sacks were still a cause for concern. While he could certainly clean some things up, some around the league believe the offensive line and coaching staff deserve the majority of the blame.

"The Bears' problems, in my opinion, start with the offensive line and the construction of it," an evaluator told Mike Sando of The Athletic. "Then it's (offensive coordinator Shane) Waldron, especially when you look at the other coordinators in the division. He is clearly fourth. The head coach (Matt Eberflus) is fourth. Right now, the quarterback is surviving on his own."

Williams has thrown for 630 yards with two touchdowns, four interceptions and 13 sacks through the first three games. The bulk of those yards came in Sunday's game, but the sacks are the stat that is most concerning.

If Williams does not have the time to let plays develop, it will be difficult for him to show significant improvement. That limits the impact that receivers DJ Moore, Rome Odunze and Keenan Allen can have and also makes Williams more prone to mistakes.

Eberflus is in his third season with Chicago and has compiled an 11-26 record during his time with the franchise. This is the strongest roster he has had but it is also likely his last chance to save his job. Waldron is in his first season in the offensive coordinator role, but a potential Eberflus dismissal would likely signal the end of his job as well.

Williams still has plenty of time to improve, but the pressure is on everyone around him to make his development a little bit easier.

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Justin Fields believes he has evolved "a lot" since landing in the Steel City amid a 3-0 start to the 2024 NFL season.

"I've grown a lot over the past year, the past few months so I'm definitely feeling a lot more confident when I'm out on the field," Fields said, per PennLive.com's Austin Hertzog.

"It means a lot, but at the end of the day it's not just me winning games. I'm just happy to be a part of this team, this organization. I'm definitely looking forward to keeping it going versus Indy."

Fields added he's feeling a "sense of peace out there" and "staying calm in the pocket."

In terms of the raw numbers, the 25-year-old isn't all that different compared to his time with the Chicago Bears. His completion percentage (73.3) and passer rating (95.3) are on pace to be career highs, but his 172.7 passing yards per game, 6.9 yards per attempt and 46.9 QBR are all either right around what he did in Chicago or slightly lower.

Still, it's impossible to avoid the conclusion Fields is more assured right now and has a coaching staff that knows how to accentuate his strengths as a quarterback. At this rate, Russell Wilson may not see the field at all in 2024 after his calf injury opened the door for Fields to take over before the opener.

"This is Justin Fields taking a leap as a QB in a monster situation." - Tony Romo pic.twitter.com/tMLchjB1L1

— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) September 22, 2024

Caleb Williams' ongoing struggles with the Bears are leading some to reevaluate Fields' tenure in the Windy City as well. The pass protection and offensive game plan, which already received plenty of criticism, were much bigger problems than people realized.

ESPN's Courtney Cronin reported in March that Chicago declined a more attractive trade offer for Fields because the front office believed landing in Pittsburgh was a better path for his individual development.

The Bears did their former quarterback a true solid because he's thriving in his new setting.

One NFL general manager cited Caleb Williams' pass protection as a major factor behind the early struggles of the Chicago Bears quarterback.

The GM told The Athletic's Mike Sando he doesn't "blame the quarterback at all" with the Bears sitting at 1-2 through Week 3.

"He is running for his life, just like he was at USC last year," the exec said of the No. 1 overall pick.

Another talent evaluator echoed those concerns to Sando and questioned Chicago's coaching.

"The Bears' problems, in my opinion, start with the offensive line and the construction of it," the evaluator said. "Then it's [offensive coordinator Shane] Waldron, especially when you look at the other coordinators in the division. He is clearly fourth. The head coach is fourth. Right now, the quarterback is surviving on his own."

Sunday's 21-16 loss to the Indianapolis Colts saw Williams have 52 pass attempts, which isn't an ideal workload for the first-year signal-caller. He nonetheless remained optimistic about the offense's direction.

"Got our first two passing touchdowns of the year, which obviously feels good," he told reporters. "I think the offensive identity is brewing. I think it's a lot closer than it was the week before or weeks before, I think it's right there. I think we were one small detail away on a lot of these plays and that includes me."

Williams has thrown for 630 yards, two touchdowns and four interceptions through three starts, and his 26.5 QBR ranks 29th in the league, per ESPN.com.

Some of the rookie's issues are attributable to the adjustment from college to the pros. Things that worked for him at USC, such as extending plays and improvising, are much less likely to come off in the NFL.

LOCKSMITH ON LOCK 🔐

📺: @SNFonNBC pic.twitter.com/ac2b2Vprzu

— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) September 16, 2024

But the offensive line issues are real. Williams' 13 sacks are tied for third-most in the league. In addition, head coach Matt Eberflus is the common denominator for an offense that hasn't shown much improvement despite adding a lot of pieces in the offseason.

The Vikings' offense is cooking with Sam Darnold

The Packers' offense has Malik Willis looking like a starter

The Bears can't score points with Caleb Williams, DJ Moore, Rome Odunze, Cole Kmet and D'Andre Swift https://t.co/6yX8NsHB1d

— Lorin Cox (@CoxSports1) September 22, 2024

It doesn't help that the Pittsburgh Steelers are 3-0 with Justin Fields at the helm, and he's looking more efficient than he was in 2023 with the Bears.

There's still a lot of time left in the season, yet some fans in the Windy City might already feel the team is destined to miss the playoffs for the fourth straight year.

Perhaps there will be better days in the Caleb Williams experience for the Chicago Bears, but things once again looked bleak on Sunday.

It was more of the same for the futile Chicago offense in a 21-16 loss to the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium. The NFC North team is now 1-2 and continues to look lost on the offensive side with an abysmal offensive line and a rookie signal-caller going through early growing pains.

Williams threw for 363 yards and his first two career touchdowns, but he also turned it over three times and saw his yardage stats inflated by a first-half Hail Mary that fell a yard short of a touchdown and an offense in comeback mode in the second half against a soft defense.

Rookie to rookie 🙌

📺: #CHIvsIND on CBS pic.twitter.com/6sBrElwAJu

— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) September 22, 2024

Caleb to Kmet! One-possession game in Indy.

📺: #CHIvsIND on CBS/Paramount+
📱: https://t.co/waVpO8ZBqG pic.twitter.com/ygSCd60g1t

— NFL (@NFL) September 22, 2024

His counterpart, Anthony Richardson, was worse at 10-of-20 for 167 yards, zero touchdowns and two interceptions, but Jonathan Taylor accounted for 110 yards and two scores on the ground for the victorious Colts.

Social media had plenty to say about the performance from Williams and the Bears as a whole:

Bears & Colts fans watching this QB play pic.twitter.com/DXmN6TQDLL

— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) September 22, 2024

Caleb Williams/Anthony Richardson battle is amazing if you only watch football via 8 second heavily edited TikTok clips

— B1G_Ryan (@B1G_Ryan) September 22, 2024

Caleb looks lost. The deep balls are off, the timing is off. It’s just not clicking yet.

— Brad Robinson (@bradrobinson8) September 22, 2024

Just hard to see what Caleb can consistently do with this OL right now unless he's perfect, which just won't happen.

— Jason Patt (@Bulls_Jay) September 22, 2024

Caleb Williams vs Anthony Richardson is gonna create a truly hilarious behavior in the pocket montage.

— Sam Monson (@SamMonsonNFL) September 22, 2024

Bears/Colts is a fight amongst toddlers trying to tie their shoes

— Anand Nanduri (@NanduriNFL) September 22, 2024

This is up there for the worst-quarterbacked game I’ve ever seen in person.

— Funky Cold Luda (Taylor’s Version) (@lcm1986) September 22, 2024

Bears should fire their offensive coordinator at the half.

— Chris Hayes (@chrislhayes) September 22, 2024

You technically can! pic.twitter.com/g3EyPS0IxR

— Tom Fornelli (@TomFornelli) September 22, 2024

https://twitter.com/FuzzBeedEli/status/1837930586301718623

This is one of the worst football games I’ve ever watched, and I’ve watched a lot of Bears games over the years.

— Evan Altman (@DEvanAltman) September 22, 2024

The game is moving too fast right now for Caleb Williams. Even when he’s getting the time the defense is ahead of him. Easy reads for a DB when the QB is rattled.

— Richard Sherman (@RSherman_25) September 22, 2024

Caleb Williams tells the punter he won’t be needed much because he will just throw picks instead

— Immortan Joe Mazzulla (@Handsome_Jake_) September 22, 2024

Both teams likely saw this as a get-right game going in, as Chicago's struggling offense that saw Williams throw two interceptions and get sacked seven times in a loss to the Houston Texans had a chance to go up against a Colts defense that entered play last in the league in rushing yards allowed.

With that as the backdrop, the start of the game was a dream for defensive players.

Richardson undercut his own deep ball to Alec Pierce with an atrocious interception in the end zone to Tremaine Edmunds, and Williams responded by following his own deep ball to Rome Odunze with a similarly terrible interception to Jaylon Jones.

Taylor's 29-yard touchdown run was the only score before intermission, as Chicago missed a field goal, fell a yard short when DJ Moore caught a Hail Mary and was stuffed on four straight running plays inside the Colts' 5-yard line, the last of which was an inexplicable speed option call that never had a chance.

Offense didn't get much better after halftime, as Richardson's interception to Jaylon Johnson set up a Bears' field goal before Williams threw another interception to Jones on a later possession. Indianapolis also failed a fourth-down attempt in Chicago territory, as the game got uglier.

However, the Colts finally broke through and opened a two-score late in the third quarter when Chicago went offside on a punt and allowed the home team to maintain possession. Indianapolis took advantage with a Trey Sermon touchdown after multiple long gains from Taylor.

Laiatu Latu with the clutch strip sack on Caleb Williams!

📺: #CHIvsIND on CBS/Paramount+
📱: https://t.co/waVpO8ZBqG pic.twitter.com/Anihnys69N

— NFL (@NFL) September 22, 2024

While Williams finally threw touchdown passes to Odunze and Cole Kmet in the fourth quarter, it was his mistake with the ball down five that cost the Bears the chance to win. He dropped back to pass on a play-action, didn't unleash a throw in time and then lost the ball on a strip-sack to Laiatu Latu.

Taylor scored after that as the Colts sent Chicago back home for a Week 4 game against the Los Angeles Rams.

Caleb Williams will wear a wristband for the first time in his NFL career as the Chicago Bears face off against the Indianapolis Colts, according to NFL Network's Stacey Dales (h/t NFL Network's Ian Rapoport).

The rookie quarterback played the first two games of his career without one as Chicago finished with a 1-1 record.

Rapoport noted that Williams and the Bears made the change in order to have a "faster and cleaner operation" when calling plays.

Dales explained that the 22-year-old has worn a wristband previously, but plays will now be called directly off the band in order to make the first-year quarterback's life a bit easier.

The change should allow Williams to get in and out of the huddle faster, giving him more time to examine defenses before the ball is snapped. The Bears have been called for two delay-of-game penalties this season which is tied for the most among all NFL teams, per the Football Database.

Chicago's playbook can also expand with the latest switch, as offensive coordinator Shane Waldron told reporters that variety is important when asked about helping Williams adjust to the professional level.

"Having good variety, having a good mix of what we're asking him to do in different known passing situations right there," Waldron said on Thursday, via Ryan Taylor of NBC Sports Chicago. "Obviously, having the run game come to life in some of those scenarios as well and really being able to mix and match and play with some variety."

The No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 draft hasn't surpassed expectations to start his NFL career just yet, but it's still too early to hit the panic button. Through two starts, Williams has completed 56.1 percent of his throws for 267 yards and zero touchdowns to go along with two interceptions. He's also been sacked nine times, tied for the highest mark among all signal-callers.

Caleb Williams showing accuracy in a crowded pocket.

📺: #CHIvsHOU on NBC/Peacock
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/PAXNZnqKXu

— NFL (@NFL) September 16, 2024

As Williams faces off against a Colts team that owns the No. 9 passing defense in the NFL, he should have an easier time calling plays in the huddle.

No. 1 overall draft pick and Chicago Bears rookie quarterback Caleb Williams has struggled out of the gate, completing just 56.1 percent of his passes for 267 yards and two interceptions (no touchdowns) through two games.

However, the immensely talented, high-potential signal-caller has only played eight quarters, and he likely has plenty of good football ahead. In the meantime, Bears head coach Matt Eberflus revealed to reporters what the message is to the ex-USC star.

"Just be steady," Eberflus said (h/t Josh Schrock of NBC Sports Chicago). "The NFL, if you want to ride the roller coaster, you can, but you don't have to. You have to be steady. You have to make sure that you're playing and you're processing and those things are coming together."

Eberflus added: "Caleb is 22 years old and going through this for the first time, and he's learning that process. He's got a good plan. He just has to stick to it, go about your business. You can listen to this, that, or the other thing. You can't listen to the outside noise. You have to be right, do right and you'll get the right result. He's doing that."

It's not uncommon for rookie quarterbacks who eventually turned into stars to struggle out of the gate. Examples include Peyton and Eli Manning, Terry Bradshaw, Troy Aikman and Donovan McNabb, among many others. Not everyone can be Patrick Mahomes, who won an NFL MVP in his first full year as a starter.

Plus, Williams is dealing with a struggling pass-protection unit, especially in Week 2 during a 19-13 loss to the Houston Texans. Schrock provided more detail:

"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."

Ultimately, there's no reason for anyone in Halas Hall (or Bears fans) to press the panic button. For now, Williams and the 1-1 Bears are focused on getting back over .500 when they visit the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.

Josh Allen has some advice for Caleb Williams

During an appearance on The Facility on FS1, the Buffalo Bills quarterback said that Williams needs to "just keep playing football" and that a rough start can be overcome.

.@JoshAllenQB's advice to Caleb Williams:

"If the first couple of games in your NFL career don't go your way, it doesn't mean it will define your career." pic.twitter.com/T0yg82awPL

— The Facility (@TheFacilityFS1) September 20, 2024

"If the first couple of games in your NFL career don't go your way, it doesn't mean it will define your career," Allen said. "I think he's got to just keep working hard and playing football the way he knows how to play the game."

Williams was the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft after an elite college career at Oklahoma and USC. He won the 2023 Heisman Trophy and threw for 10,082 yards and 93 touchdowns in his career.

His NFL tenure has been much less successful so far, although it has barely started. He won his first start for the Chicago Bears but his performance was not a big reason why as he only threw for 93 yards and had a completion percentage under 50 percent.

In his second game against the Houston Texans, he went 23-37 for 174 yards but threw two interceptions in a 19-13 loss.

He has plenty of time to improve but the warning bells appear to be sounding. However, Allen may be the best example of how a player can overcome a slow start.

Allen went 5-6 in his rookie season while throwing for 2,074 yards with 10 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Since then, he has led Buffalo to five consecutive playoff appearances, four consecutive division titles and has been named to two Pro Bowls. He is among the best quarterbacks in the league and is the caliber of player Chicago hopes Williams can develop into.

While the ride has been a bit bumpy, Williams still has plenty of time to develop into the player Allen knows he can be.

Houston Texans star C.J. Stroud denied his intention was to "little bro" the Chicago Bears' Caleb Williams during their postgame interaction in Week 2.

Stroud discussed the conversation with reporters Wednesday. He explained how older players approached him on the field last year to offer helpful advice so he wanted to pay it forward now.

#Texans C.J. Stroud emphasized strongly that he was not 'little bro' ing #Bears Caleb Williams whom he has a ton of respect for adding that Williams was just upset that he didn't win the game and is a competitive guy. He wishes him all the success @KPRC2 pic.twitter.com/FCtl7YXd22

— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) September 18, 2024

Following Houston's 19-13 win over the Bears, Stroud and Williams met for the customary exchange of pleasantries.

But what some saw as providing constructive criticism—Stroud telling the rookie to "stop taking those hits"—others viewed as picking the wrong time and place to give a quick lesson.

.@CJ7STROUD had some words of encouragement for @CALEBcsw.

"You're gonna be a hell of a player in this league." 🤝 pic.twitter.com/EkGCMOl0ew

— NFL (@NFL) September 17, 2024

Not to mention, Stroud and Williams are the same age (22), so it looked a bit odd to see the former act as a veteran mentor to the latter.

However, players from the same position often feel a sense of solidarity among themselves, and even younger players can possess some wisdom to impart.

Chicago Bears rookie quarterback Caleb Williams was not pleased with his two interceptions during Sunday's 19-13 loss against the Houston Texans.

"Obviously I had the two stupid mistakes that won't happen again," he told reporters Wednesday. "But I think rhythm, pass game, getting the ball to receivers, I think I got better with getting the ball out of my hands, trying to stay in the right range of timing, the offensive linemen, myself, and the routes, I think those are the few spots I've gotten better at."

Williams has struggled through two games, throwing for 267 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions while taking nine sacks and completing just 56.1 percent of his passes.

Some of that is to be expected for a rookie, though the Bears came into the season with high hopes after selecting him with the top overall pick—alongside adding players like Keenan Allen, D'Andre Swift and Rome Odunze around him—and the offense has yet to live up to those expectations.

Williams remains confident in his ability to turn things around, however.

"Play your game, play within the way that we need to play, the way that I need to play for the offense, be efficient and make less mistakes each week," he said Wednesday. "Don't make the same mistake over and over."

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Justin Fields is confident that Caleb Williams, his replacement on the Chicago Bears, is "going to be fine" amid a tough start to his NFL career.

"Of course, it's just not him, but he's going to get most of the blame just because of the position he's in," Fields said to Fox News Digital's Chantz Martin. "But just as a whole … the guys over there I know … they want to be better, and I think they're going to be better. So, I'm hoping that they start getting [the things] done on offense that they need to do.

"[Caleb] played two pretty good defenses coming out, so I think he'll be fine."

Williams is certainly getting his fair share of criticism. Through two games, he has 267 passing yards and two touchdowns along with 59 rushing yards on 10 carries.

The concerns about whether the No. 1 overall pick might try to improvise too much have been well-founded so far. He's learning the hard way that extending plays for too long in the NFL can have disastrous outcomes.

Another 3rd down sack for the @HoustonTexans!

📺: #CHIvsHOU on NBC/Peacock
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/zqPcmLYhKP

— NFL (@NFL) September 16, 2024

LOCKSMITH ON LOCK 🔐

📺: @SNFonNBC pic.twitter.com/ac2b2Vprzu

— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) September 16, 2024

Amid the discourse around Williams, however, is an acknowledgement that he's not solely to blame for the struggles of the passing game. When some of the same problems that hampered Fields in Chicago are carrying over to this year, clearly the quarterback isn't the sole source.

Overreactions are a hallmark of the first few weeks in any given NFL season, and rookie quarterbacks, once offered a reasonable level of leeway in terms of their performance, are expected to hit the ground running now.

In the case of Williams, some of his flaws should be ironed out as he gains more and more experience. In particular, he'll better understand what he can and can't get away with as a playmaker.

But some of the issues affecting the Bears offense require solutions from much higher up in the organization.