Williams airs it out in loss, goals to 'preserve slinging'

INDIANAPOLIS — Bears rookie quarterback Caleb Williams was stunned to study of his passing output when made conscious of how usually he threw the ball in Chicago’s 21-16 loss to the Indianapolis Colts.

“I threw the ball 52 instances?” Williams requested. “Jeez.”

Williams set the Bears (1-2) single-game rookie passing report towards the Colts upon finishing 33 of 52 makes an attempt for 363 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions with an 80.8 passer score. The No. 1 general decide had 267 passing yards mixed in Chicago’s first two video games of the season.

Regardless of dealing with a Colts protection that entered Week 3 having allowed 237 speeding yards per recreation, the Bears couldn’t get their speeding assault on monitor at Lucas Oil Stadium. Chicago churned out 63 speeding yards on 28 makes an attempt (2.3 yards per carry) and managed simply 4 speeding first downs on Sunday.

The Bears’ penultimate sequence within the first half illuminates these struggles.

Down 7-0 on the finish of a 16-play, 53-yard drive, Chicago ran the ball on 5 straight performs out of the shotgun contained in the Colts’ 4-yard line. After failing to cross into the tip zone, the Bears ran an choice play on fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line with 1:46 left within the second quarter.

The Colts confirmed the Bears a distinct look defensively than that they had seen on movie and Williams was immediately beneath strain as he rolled to his left. The quarterback pitched the ball early to working again D’Andre Swift, who ended up being tackled by Indianapolis defensive finish Tyquan Lewis for a 12-yard loss.

“It’s irritating,” Williams mentioned. “We have been that shut, and also you get 4 makes an attempt proper there. I feel we have been beneath the 5 [yard line] for 4 makes an attempt. And so not get in, in these moments, it undoubtedly is irritating. However I imagine that was the 17-play drive or so I imagine. And so, to have the ability to march the ball and transfer the ball for 17 performs, that is NFL ball. We simply have gotten to maintain going, preserve ending.”

Tight finish Cole Kmet mentioned the Bears must have a “higher perspective up entrance” in relation to punching the ball in from a brief distance.

“I feel it is simply that mindset, that mindset shift,” Kmet mentioned. “It was an extended drive and also you’re drained on the finish however we acquired to have that perspective of we will end these guys off. We must always suppose that no matter kind of run Shane calls, it should not matter. We must always have the ability to dent that entrance and clearly somebody’s going to be left unblocked for the again for the most probably, however we should always have the ability to dent that entrance and have the ability to get a few yards there to attain there.”

Williams’ first NFL passing landing got here within the fourth quarter when the No. 1 general decide related with fellow rookie Rome Odunze for a 1-yard reception. Two drives later, Williams hit tight finish Kmet for a 6-yard landing. Each landing drives got here with the Bears trailing by two scores.

Williams mentioned he was inspired by the offense’s potential to complete drives with passing touchdowns and believes the Bears’ offensive id is “brewing” and nearer to the place the group needs it to be than after Chicago’s first two video games.

“I do regardless of the group wants,” Williams mentioned. “So, if it is [throwing] 50 instances, it is 50 instances. I am unable to have the 2 turnovers with these 50 makes an attempt. After which if it finally ends up being 10 instances and I full 9 of these 10, and we’ve 300 yards speeding and 4 touchdowns, I am absolutely conscious, absolutely able to do regardless of the group wants. And so, if it comes all the way down to being 50 makes an attempt and us slinging the ball round, if it comes all the way down to being 10 makes an attempt — it is regardless of the group wants, regardless of the group must get the win.

“We’ll preserve slinging it, we’ll preserve engaged on the run recreation. We’ll preserve getting higher, undoubtedly, as an offense. We will get this factor going right here quickly.”

Whereas Williams boasted quantity, the Bears offense continues to be struggling to create explosive cross performs.

Greater than half of Williams’ 33 completions have been thrown 5 or fewer yards downfield (18), and he was 4-of-14 for 137 yards and an interception on passes thrown 15 or extra yards, in response to ESPN Analysis.

Williams completed the sport with 11 off-target throws and now has 29 off-target passes via three video games after posting 9 in every of his first two video games.

DJ Moore, who had eight catches for 78 yards, echoed Williams on the offense needing to create no matter id helps the Bears win video games. Getting there shortly, Moore intimated, is Chicago’s prime precedence.

“I do not know. No matter will get us a win,” Moore mentioned. “The primary win [against Tennessee], the protection and particular groups introduced us that win and recently they have been holding it down and we’ve not. We have got to determine our id — like, now — for the sake of them.”