Bears need to improve offensive
line to take pressure off Caleb Williams
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[September 17, 2024]
By ANDREW SELIGMAN
CHICAGO (AP) — Caleb Williams had defenders coming at him one after
another, constantly in his face whether they were sacking him or
forcing him to rush throws.
It added up to another rough outing for the quarterback drafted No.
1 overall. A big reason was the blocking, and the play of the
offensive line continued to be a concern for the Chicago Bears
following a 19-13 loss at Houston on Sunday night.
“I don’t think it’s necessarily a talent issue necessarily up
front,” tight end Cole Kmet said Monday. “I don’t think we were
necessarily getting overmatched totally physically up front. But I
think us getting on the same page mentally speaking can lead to
those adjustments, and we can kind of see those sacks come down a
little bit.”
The Texans blitzed heavily and sacked Williams seven times. The
former Heisman Trophy winner out of Southern California completed 23
of 37 passes for 174 yards with two interceptions. That followed a
shaky debut in Chicago's season-opening win over Tennessee.
The Bears managed just 205 yards on offense. They got little from
their ground game and consistently found themselves in
third-and-long situations, which led to more pressure against
Williams.
“When you’re able to run the ball and move the ball and stay ahead
of the chains, you don’t get those types of pressures in that where
we know you’re all pass protection,” coach Matt Eberflus said. “So
we have to do a really good job with that coming forward and not
creating those distances for us there that aren’t favorable for us
on offense (so) that we can rely more on the quick passing, rely
more on to convert third downs — and really getting first downs on
first and second down, not even getting to third down. That’s what
we’re searching for.”
What's working
The Bears' defense has done a good job shutting down opponents in
the second half through the first two games, limiting Houston to a
field goal after holding Tennessee scoreless over the final two
quarters in a season-opening comeback win.
“That's just adjustments to what we see out there on the field,
coming in, making the adjustments we need to make at halftime or on
the sideline, and just going back out there trying to make plays and
do whatever we can to help our football team,” linebacker Tremaine
Edmunds said.
The Bears held Houston to 310 yards and one touchdown on Sunday. C.J.
Stroud, the 2023 AP Offensive Rookie of the Year, threw for 260
yards and one score, and was sacked three times.
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Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) is sacked by Houston
Texans defensive end Derek Barnett, left, for an 8-yard loss during
the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, in
Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
What needs help
The run game. The Bears need to run the ball to take some pressure
off Williams, but that's hard to do when the blocking isn't there.
Only four teams were averaging fewer yards rushing than the Bears at
77.5 per game through Sunday. Chicago was also 29th at 3.5 yards per
carry.
Against Houston, the Bears ran 22 times for 71 yards, with Williams
gaining 44 of those.
Stock up
P Tory Taylor. It's a sign of problems on offense when a punter is
the bright spot. But the fourth-round draft pick from Iowa had two
more punts inside the 20, giving him five this season — two shy of
the league lead.
Stock down
RB D’Andre Swift. The Bears signed Swift to a three-year deal after
he made his first Pro Bowl in his lone season with Philadelphia. He
ran for a career-high 1,049 yards and five touchdowns with the
Eagles. But he's off to a slow start in Chicago, with 48 yards on 24
attempts. He had 18 yards on 14 carries against Houston after
rushing 10 times for 30 yards in the opener.
Injuries
Eberflus had no update on WR Keenan Allen (heel), who missed the
game after being held out of practice last week.
Key number
7 — The seven sacks were the most allowed by the Bears since they
gave up that many in a 41-10 loss at Detroit in Week 17 of the 2022
season.
Next steps
The Bears visit the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday in another game
featuring young quarterbacks, with Williams going against Anthony
Richardson — the No. 4 pick in 2023.
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