Schrock’s Report Card: Grading Caleb Williams, Bears in loss vs. Colts initially appeared on NBC Sports activities Chicago
INDIANAPOLIS — The Bears entered the week with a golden alternative in entrance of them.
They cut up their first two video games regardless of an offense nonetheless looking for its id with rookie quarterback Caleb Williams. The Bears had been unable to run the ball of their first two video games and struggled to guard Williams behind a shaky offensive line.
However the NFL schedule-makers smiled on them, presenting them with a runway to enhance towards the league’s three-worst run defenses in Weeks 3-5.
That highway began Sunday with a bout towards an 0-2 Colts crew with a putrid run protection and a uncooked younger quarterback in Anthony Richardson, who has a penchant for turning the ball over.
On paper, Sunday’s recreation at Lucas Oil Stadium was an ideal alternative for the Bears to get proper. They wanted to deal with the Colts’ protection like a velocity bag within the run recreation, get Williams into rhythm early, keep away from turnovers, restrict explosives, and switch Richardson over.
As an alternative, the Bears walked into Indianapolis and averaged 4.7 yards per play, 2.3 yards per rush, and turned it over thrice in a deflating 21-16 loss that noticed them fall to 1-2.
Here is a report card for a crew that’s already on its backfoot three video games into the season:
Passing offense
The stat sheet seems fairly for Williams.
The No. 1 general decide went 33-for-52 for 363 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions within the loss.
However these numbers really feel a bit of bit like lipstick on a pig. The Bears trailed 21-9 halfway via the fourth quarter and had been solely in a position to actually discover a rhythm within the passing recreation when the Colts had been taking part in again and making an attempt to restrict the explosive performs behind them.
Williams had a number of good moments. The 47-yard dot to Rome Odunze down the sideline was an all-world toss. He had a later completion to DeAndre Carter on which he navigated strain, climbed the pocket, and threw with anticipation throughout the center. However he additionally had two interceptions and was stripped on a sack late within the recreation.
The primary interception was a “rhythm throw” that Williams was not in sync with. He tried to return again to Carter on a curl route late, however cornerback Jaylon Jones jumped the route for the interception. On the second interception, Williams noticed the defender’s again was turned and tried to throw a ball for Odunze to go up and get. However the nook bought his hand in there and deflected it off Odunze and into the fingers of Jones.
On the strip sack, Williams stated he felt Colts rookie Laiatu Latu coming across the edge however needed to make small actions to navigate it as a result of Odunze was about to pop open behind the linebackers. However Latu bought on him faster than anticipated and knocked the ball free earlier than Williams may rip it to Odunze.
The rookie quarterback is aware of he has to wash up the turnovers, however he noticed Sunday’s offensive output as a constructive step because the Bears work to flesh out their id.
Williams’ teammates had been additionally inspired by the expansion he confirmed in Recreation 3.
“I imply, I assumed at instances he appeared just like the No. 1 general decide,” tight finish Cole Kmet stated after the loss. “He had a swagger about him. Eliminating the ball. His decisiveness with the soccer. Giving us receivers probabilities. That was actually cool to see.”
GRADE: B-minus (the stats are good, however the execution continues to be missing for lengthy stretches)
Operating offense
Final week, the Inexperienced Bay Packers lined up and ran it down the Colts’ throat for 4 quarters in help of backup quarterback Malik Willis.
The Bears ought to have been in a position to are available and do the identical factor Sunday.
They could not.
The Bears rushed 28 instances for 63 yards Sunday. Lead again D’Andre Swift rushed 13 instances for 20 yards and had a zero p.c success charge.
Second-year working again Roschon Johson led the crew with 30 yards on eight carries.
The truth that the Bears not solely selected to have Williams throw 52 instances but in addition wanted him to is an indictment of the offensive line, the backs, and offensive coordinator Shane Waldron.
“I threw it 52 instances? Jeez,” Williams stated after the loss. “I am going to do regardless of the crew wants. If it is 50 instances, it is 50 instances. I am unable to have the 2 turnovers with these 50 makes an attempt. And if it finally ends up being 10 instances and I full 9 of these 10 and we’ve 300 yards dashing and 4 touchdowns, I am totally conscious, totally able to do no matter that will appear, regardless of the crew wants. If it comes right down to being 50 makes an attempt and slinging the ball round, if it comes right down to being 10 makes an attempt, it is regardless of the crew must get the win.”
The Bears deliberate to lean on their run recreation early to assist Williams settle in and discover his footing. Nevertheless, that plan is now not viable as a result of their lack of ability to get something happening the bottom.
“If our id goes to be passing the ball, we must always deal with that,” large receiver DJ Moore stated after the loss. “Then, the run recreation will hit as a result of everyone is backing off. If we’ll run the ball we’ll need to do it efficiently after which throw the ball downfield with play motion.”
GRADE: F-minus
Move protection
The Bears picked Richardson off twice on Sunday. Each got here on passes that had been thrown on to the Bears’ protection, however these depend the identical.
Nevertheless, the Bears’ cross protection allowed a number of explosive performs within the cross recreation, together with a 44-yard cross to Alec Pierce that had cornerback Jaylon Johnson nonetheless mad after the sport.
“I do not recover from it,” Johnson stated after the loss. “For me, it is a kind of issues the place I am not over it however I hold taking part in. I understand how to do each at this level in my profession. Understanding what the usual is for myself and that is not the usual.”
When knowledgeable that Pierce has made a couple of explosive performs early this season, Johnson scoffed.
“That do not bought s–t to do with me,” Johnson stated.
All instructed, the Bears’ protection held Richardson to 167 yards on 50 p.c completion. However the explosives they allowed instantly led to landing runs by Jonathan Taylor and Trey Sermon.
It was effort however, as Johnson famous, not the usual.
GRADE: B
Run protection
Taylor is a tricky again to maintain in examine. He’s a affected person runner who wades behind his line earlier than exploding via the holes as soon as they open.
The Bears’ run protection did job of constructing Taylor work for his yards, however they nonetheless allowed him to go for 110 yards at 4.8 yards a carry, together with a 29-yard landing run within the second quarter.
The Bears did job of holding Richardson in examine on the bottom (24 yards on eight carries), however Taylor did sufficient injury to hold Indianapolis to a win.
GRADE: B
Particular groups
Cairo Santos missed a 56-yard kick that was on the sting of his vary. Daniel Hardy had a important offsides penalty on fourth down that prolonged a Colts drive and led to their second landing.
Not a special occasion.
GRADE: C
Teaching
Be it the velocity possibility on fourth-and-goal on the inch line or burning a timeout after a landing, Sunday was a banner day for teaching malpractice with the Bears.
The offensive play-calling was putrid for a lot of the day, and Eberflus’ time administration gaffe was an inexcusable blunder.
The teaching has to enhance if the Bears are going to rebound and be the playoff contenders they had been anticipated to be.
GRADE: F
