The Chicago Bears managed to escape the first day of the Caleb Williams era with a win.
However, it wasn’t thanks to their star prospect or their offense.
Their defense stole the show — and the football — multiple times, scoring a pick-six to seal the game after blocking a punt and returning it for a touchdown.
Williams completed just 14 of 29 passes for 93 yards and a passer rating of 55.7, averaging 3.2 yards per attempt.
When asked about his debut, ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky claimed that the rookie looked a little overwhelmed.
Talking on Get Up, Orlovsky argued that he saw Williams looking down way too often, and he was hesitant and overwhelmed by what the defense was doing and his play-calling and whatnot.
.@danorlovsky7 believes Caleb Williams looked a bit “overwhelmed” in his rookie debut vs. the Titans. pic.twitter.com/xYu8yMhw1N
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) September 9, 2024
Of course, these are the growing pains almost every rookie quarterback has to go through, and as talented as he is, he’s not going to be the exception.
Williams missed some easy throws in his first game out there, but that’s all a part of the process and the learning curve.
If anything, the Bears and their fans can feel very confident about the defense, as they kept Will Levis on his toes all day long.
They were able to hold down the fort and make sure the team had a chance to get back in the game after a sloppy start to the matchup.
On the downside, their offensive line will need to step up, as Williams will need a little more time in the pocket to get settled in and used to the speed of the pro game.
