{"id":2760,"date":"2025-10-23T01:03:39","date_gmt":"2025-10-23T01:03:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/?p=2760"},"modified":"2025-10-23T01:03:39","modified_gmt":"2025-10-23T01:03:39","slug":"qb-caleb-williams-is-the-missing-piece-as-bears-running-game-defense-click","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/?p=2760","title":{"rendered":"QB Caleb Williams is the missing piece as Bears’ running game, defense click"},"content":{"rendered":"


\n<\/p>\n

\n

Bears<\/a> quarterback Caleb Williams has been through ups and downs throughout his season and a half in the NFL, and coming off a rough performance against the Saints, he needs to pull out of his most recent dip and prevent it from becoming a nosedive.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s going to be challenging against the Ravens on Sunday.<\/p>\n

Set aside that they\u2019re 1-5 and have allowed the most points in the league at 32.3 per game, because no one is dismissing them. They\u2019ve been elite for years, and they\u2019ve got credibility when they say they\u2019re going to straighten themselves out.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s rarely an easy game in the NFL anyway, and the Bears need Williams to click sooner than later if they\u2019re serious about vying for a playoff spot this season. The defense and rushing attack carried them against the lowly Saints while Williams posted season-lows in completion percentage (57.7), yards (172) and passer rating (61.7) while throwing no touchdown passes, throwing one interception and fumbling once.<\/p>\n

That registered as a concern both locally and nationally. Quarterbacks have off games occasionally, but Williams hasn\u2019t built enough of a track record for this to be brushed aside.<\/p>\n

That level of performance usually won\u2019t be good enough to beat even a bad opponent \u2014 Williams was aided by the Bears\u2019 defense getting four takeaways against the Saints \u2014 let alone a Ravens team that is stacked with stars on both sides of the ball, coming off a bye week, playing at home and desperate to save its season.<\/p>\n

\u201cTheir record really doesn\u2019t indicate what they\u2019re capable of doing,\u201d coach Ben Johnson said.<\/p>\n

He said something similar about the Saints, but the difference this time is that it\u2019s true.<\/p>\n

The Ravens had Pro Bowl picks at every level of their defense last season, led by All-Pro linebacker and ex-Bear Roquan Smith and versatile safety Kyle Hamilton.<\/p>\n

It\u2019ll be even more important than usual for Williams to do all the little things right and simply play sound football. That means throwing accurately, being decisive in the pocket and taking the easy passes when they\u2019re available.<\/p>\n

He had issues in all three of those areas against the Saints<\/a>, and the check engine light certainly is on when it comes to his declining completion percentage. It was his third game under 60%, dropping him to 61.1% for the season and leaving him well short of Johnson\u2019s goal of 70%.<\/p>\n

It was among the worst performances of his career and raised a crucial question: Why is that happening six games into the season after the Bears hired the best available offensive mind to get him on track?<\/p>\n

Williams isn\u2019t getting the same margin he got as a rookie. The Bears have playoff ambition this season, and beyond that, they\u2019re trying to build something quickly to take advantage of his rookie contract window.<\/p>\n

When a team gets elite quarterback play for such a low salary-cap hit, that\u2019s a recipe for a trip to the Super Bowl. The Chiefs (Patrick Mahomes), Bengals (Joe Burrow), Eagles (Jalen Hurts) and 49ers (Brock Purdy) all reached or won the Super Bowl in that scenario.<\/p>\n

At this point, it\u2019s on Williams more than anyone else. The Bears have gotten him a suitable offensive line, stocked the roster with skill talent and hired the ideal coach. It\u2019s on Williams to take all of that and run with it. Other quarterbacks have succeeded with less.<\/p>\n

The first imperative is that he dials in on his fundamentals and makes sure he\u2019s throwing the ball exactly where he wants it to be. When he gets loose with his footwork, that\u2019s typically where the accuracy begins to unravel.<\/p>\n

And while his scrambling ability has been impressive, it\u2019s also been excessive. When he buys that much time in the pocket, receivers surely are popping free, and that\u2019s where he must rein in his gunslinger mentality and take the prudent play underneath. There also are openings to take off running, get a decent gain and slide safely.<\/p>\n

Then he\u2019s got to be able to take and make the \u201clayups\u201d the Bears talked about with predecessors Justin Fields and Mitch Trubisky. Those checkdowns and relatively easy passes are how quarterbacks assemble great passing games. It takes a bunch of those and only a few of those splashy plays that are much harder to make in the NFL than they were at USC.<\/p>\n

Williams said it\u2019s \u201ca constant thing in my mind\u201d to keep the offense moving by taking the easy completions, but that needs to be clearly visible on the field.<\/p>\n

Johnson noted Wednesday that even though his team is 4-2, it has yet to play a strong all-around game. If everything comes together, it\u2019ll be \u201ca beautiful thing.\u201d But if the running game and defense are clicking, the only element left to fall into place is Williams, and the Bears can\u2019t wait forever.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n<\/picture>\n

<\/a><\/div>\n

\n

The Bears will face the 1-5 Ravens in Baltimore on Sunday.<\/p>\n

\n

\n
\n