Even with enormous expectations of quarterback Caleb Williams, the Bears hoped to bring him along gradually and make sure they didn’t ask too much of him too soon.
Theoretically, Williams doesn’t yet need to be the reason they win, and he certainly wasn’t Sunday as they wrested momentum from the Titans late and escaped with a 24-17 victory to open the season. The Bears’ only touchdowns came on defense and special teams, and their three scoring drives — all Cairo Santos field goals — averaged 24 yards.
Williams, meanwhile, completed 14 of 29 passes for 93 yards and a 55.7 passer rating. His longest play was a 13-yard pass to DJ Moore late in the first half.
“Yeah, don’t care about stats,” Williams said. “I feel great… We’re going to enjoy this win. Going to dinner with my family, hang out with them. From there, get back into it and get ready to go. We’re going to be better next week.”
Williams is the first No. 1 pick to win his starting debut at quarterback in the last two decades, and that’s because very few in his position step into such an advantageous situation. It’s a credit to general manager Ryan Poles’ rebuild that this formula worked Sunday.
It won’t be viable for the long term, and the Bears know that. They drafted Williams so it wouldn’t be like this.
Ideally for them, this was the worst he’ll ever play, and by the end of the season they won’t be so reliant on the magic that got them by the Titans despite what he called his various “miscues and misfires,” which included taking a drive-destroying 19-yard sack in the first quarter and overthrowing open receivers.
Once Williams is thriving, though, the bonus points from defense and special teams will turn the Bears into a powerhouse, and they’ll need that against better opponents.
There’s a miniscule chance this performance will be sufficient against the Texans on Sunday, and only a handful of teams on their schedule are as bad as or worse than the Titans.
“It’s about us being able to figure it out during the game and figure out our winning formula for that particular day, and that could change,” coach Matt Eberflus said. “And then once you get a solidified quarterback… it becomes pretty clear how you operate and how you do things. We’ve seen all those guys in the past.
“Our guy is very talented. Again, this is his first game. He’s going to continue to get better.”
He should. Peyton Manning threw three interceptions in his 1998 debut. Patrick Mahomes didn’t throw a touchdown pass in his in 2017. It took until November for Jordan Love to find his groove as a new starter last season, and he had some experience. It happens.
And for the great players, that early struggle eventually is little more than a footnote. One ugly game to start Williams’ rookie season doesn’t negate the potential the Bears and the saw in him or the spectacular flashes he showed in training camp and in the preseason.