CHGO Digest: Caleb Williams needs help from Bears

Good morning, friends!

Nine more weeks. We’re already at the halfway point of the regular season.

After London, we couldn’t stop ourselves from wondering if the Chicago Bears had a playoff run on the horizon. After Arizona, we’re not sure there’s a win left on the schedule.

It’s crazy how quickly a season’s outlook can change, but on the bright side, at least we still get to watch Caleb Williams play football for the next nine weekends – or until, you know…

This was the Bears’ opportunity to silence the outside noise and get back on track for a postseason push. So, now what?

Onto Week 10.

— Patrick Norton

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Caleb Williams needs help from weapons, coaching staff

If you look at the box score, it’ll show you that Williams finished Sunday just 22/41 with 217 passing yards. It wasn’t a great day for the No. 1 overall pick, but he certainly outperformed the rest of the Bears’ offense – maybe except for Rome Odunze.

Williams was sacked six times on Sunday as opponents continue to scheme heavy pressure against the rookie until he proves he can beat it. There are moments where Williams holds onto the ball too long trying to make something out of nothing, and there are times when he misidentifies the defense’s pressure package. But what about the times when he faces defenders in his lap mere milliseconds after receiving the snap?

The young quarterback needs help to reach the heights he is clearly capable of reaching. He can’t do it alone, no matter how hard he tries.

• After facing criticism for failing to take responsibility for the Bears’ shortcomings in Washington, Matt Eberflus went out of his way to be accountable after Sunday’s loss. Whether it was genuine or not, he did it – even for the offense. “Full responsibility”. That was Eberflus’ response when asked about his role in the offense’s rough day. The head coach then promised to “find answers” with his offensive staff.

• When Emari Demercado scored a backbreaking 53-yard touchdown with four seconds left in the first half, it was Eberflus during his post-halftime interview taking responsibility. “I called a pass pressure. That’s on me.” Great—so we’ve established who’s to blame. The problem is that these coaching errors, which didn’t start on Sunday despite Eberflus’ newfound desire to take the blame, pile up quickly. It’s why Eberflus is 3-18 on the road as head coach of the Bears.

• But Eberflus wasn’t sluggish on routes and dropping passes, either. Keenan Allen and Odunze both had drive-crippling drops on Sunday. Odunze did his best to make up for it, hauling in five of his seven targets for 104 yards. He’s a stud and the rapport with Williams is clearly on the rise. Allen, however, caught just four of his 10 targets. For $23.1 million, the output hasn’t been as advertised. Why?

• Shane Waldron. Waldron’s game plans struggled for the first four weeks, but games against Carolina and Jacksonville helped the offense find a rhythm. And then he called a handoff to Doug Kramer on the goal line in Washington – Waldron’s personal double-doink. Heading into Week 10, the Bears have scored just 10 points in eight first quarters. It’s not good enough for any quarterback, but especially not for somebody chosen No. 1 overall as the greatest hope one of the game’s most storied franchises has ever seen.

🔎 GO DEEPER | Nicholas Moreano on Matt Eberflus’ decision-making and the all-too-familiar trajectory for a head coach’s future in Chicago.

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Roundup: Luke Getsy fired, Ian Happ wins Gold Glove

• OLD FRIEND ALERT! After a throttling at the hands of Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals, Las Vegas Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce has moved on from offensive coordinator Luke Getsy and two position coaches. Getsy was fired from the same role with the Bears in January before being hired by Las Vegas in February.

• Congratulations to Chicago Cubs left fielder Ian Happ on a third consecutive Gold Glove award! Happ was the club’s only winner. Dansby Swanson fell just short of his third straight win, losing out to Ezequiel Tovar of the Colorado Rockies.

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CHGO Bears Postgame!

🎧 SPOTIFY | APPLE PODCASTS | POSTGAME: Chicago Bears get RUN OVER in embarrassing loss to Cardinals

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Join us for an upcoming CHGO event!

🍻 11/10 | CHGO Bears Tailgate at Wabash & Cermak! – Week 10 vs. Patriots
🍻 11/17 | CHGO Bears Tailgate at Wabash & Cermak! – Week 11 vs. Packers