The Bears weren’t able to end their losing streak against the Packers last Sunday, but they did show some signs of offensive life.
Quarterback Caleb Williams threw for 231 yards and ran for 70 while the Bears dominated time of possession and converted 9-of-16 third downs over the course of the team’s first game with Thomas Brown calling the offensive plays. Brown got bumped up after offensive coordinator Shane Waldron’s firing and Williams said on Wednesday that the difference in play had more to do with changing small things than the big picture.
“I wouldn’t say they simplified,” Williams said, via the team’s website. “We didn’t reinvent the wheel for those three or four days that Thomas became the offensive coordinator and play caller. I think the decisiveness, all of that came from our meetings and how we’re going to do things. It came from being able to get play calls in faster and being able to get up there and not feel like you’re rushed or not feel like you need to hurry up and get the ball snapped. All of these small things—details of routes, details of the blocking, details of the path of running backs and how we’re going to do things—I think that led into all of what happened last week. We didn’t come out with the win, but how we played efficiently and physically, that leads into it.”
The change may have come too late to help the Bears make the playoffs this season, but more outings like Sunday would be a plus for Williams’s development after it looked like the first overall pick’s season might be going off the rails.
