Good morning, friends!

From the moment the schedule was released, many of us expected the Bears to arrive in Indianapolis at 1-1. How they’ve gotten here is a different story.

DJ Moore mentioned last week how much easier it is to fix things in practice after a win.

Now we’ll have a chance to see how Caleb Williams and the Bears respond after a loss.

Onto Week 3.

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— Patrick Norton

Guarding Caleb

I can’t stop thinking about protecting Caleb Williams. After Sunday night’s performance, I was ready to suit up and take snaps defending the guy myself.

There’s still plenty of blame to go around for the offensive line, but after watching the tape from Sunday’s loss, it’s clear that Caleb needs to do a better job of protecting himself. He knows it, too.

Seven sacks, 11 quarterback hits, pressure on 23/48 dropbacks — that should be enough motivation to get this quickly sorted out for No. 18, with bruising serving as a painful reminder until it’s remedied.

• Caleb spoke at Halas Hall on Wednesday, keying in on communication and adjustments as the next steps in getting the offense to click. “There needs to be better communication between the coaches, the offensive line, and myself, making sure that we’re on the same page and that we’re making adjustments when we need to in-game… Being able to adjust quickly. That’s the most important thing. It starts with communication.”
  
• As for “Welcome to the NFL” moments, the rookie had too many in Houston, as he gets reacclimated to the physicality of the game. “I think just getting used to getting hit again. It has been a while. It has been since November 18 since the last time I got hit. Just getting used to that, like really hit. Getting used to that. Getting used to having some games like that. It’s the NFL.”
  

🔎 GO DEEPER | Caleb Williams believes the running game will “emerge really soon”. Will it finally explode against the Colts on Sunday?

Join us at Joe’s on Weed St!

Join CHGO’s Corey Wootton, Alex Brown, Lance Briggs, and the rest of the CHGO Bears crew for a special CHGO Bears Watch Party during the Bears-Colts game at Joe’s Bar on Weed Street.

Should we be concerned with Bears’ health?

Four players did not practice on Wednesday. During the media window of the practice, Teven Jenkins (deep thigh bruise), Zacch Pickens (groin), and Khari Blasingame (knee) rode exercise bikes. Keenan Allen (heel) was not present.

In addition to the four non-participants, six players were listed on Wednesday’s injury report as limited: Kiran Amegadjie (quad), Andrew Billings (groin), Nate Davis (groin), Rome Odunze (knee), Montez Sweat (elbow), and DeMarcus Walker (foot).

At a time when the Bears need consistency to get the ball rolling, they’re missing it.

• Matt Pryor filled in for Jenkins at left guard in Wednesday’s practice. But Matt Eberflus is not worried about his starter’s availability for Sunday. “We do feel good about it. So again, we’ll see where it goes for tomorrow. But again, it’s a power thing, and then him feeling comfortable and the trainers feeling comfortable for him to come back in.”
  
• Aside from Jenkins’ absence, it’s status quo for the offensive line. Despite Sunday night’s struggles, Eberflus still believes in the current group. “We’re looking for continuity and consistency and communication and getting better. That’s what we’re focused on … It’s fundamentals and basics. It’s important that we get that down as a group. So we’re going back to that. That’s what wins football games.”
  

🔎 GO DEEPER | Nicholas Moreano spoke to Jack Sanborn and Kyler Gordon about key plays from the defense’s effort against the Texans.

Roundup: Blackhawks name Foligno captain

• The Blackhawks announced on Wednesday morning that Nick Foligno would don the “C” on his sweater for the 2024-25 season. Foligno, who had unofficially played the role for Chicago since signing before last season, becomes the 35th captain in franchise history — the first since Jonathan Toews. Foligno was previously captain of the Columbus Blue Jackets from 2015 until his departure via trade in 2020.
  
• Why not Connor Bedard? Bedard is just 19 years old. For reference, Jonathan Toews was named captain in Chicago shortly after turning 20 — still the fifth-youngest captain in NHL history. But Bedard is not Toews, and Toews was not Bedard. Making Foligno, the truest veteran presence in the locker room, the permanent captain allows the 36-year-old to guide Bedard on and off the ice, showing him the ropes of captaincy until it’s time for No. 98 to take the reins.
  

🔎 GO DEEPER | Jay Zawaski provides his analysis of the Blackhawks’ decision to pick Nick Foligno to wear the “C”.

The Eighty Five with Cole Kmet

🎧 SPOTIFY | APPLE PODCASTS | Turning the page to the Indianapolis Colts + Alec Pierce joins!

Join us for an upcoming CHGO event!

🍻 9/22 | CHGO Bears Watch Party at Joe’s On Weed St. — Week 3 vs. Colts
🍻 9/29 | CHGO Bears Tailgate at Wabash & Cermak! — Week 4 vs. Rams
🍻 10/6 | CHGO Bears Tailgate at Wabash & Cermak! – Week 5 vs. Panthers