Bears QB Caleb Williams must use four-interception game vs. Buccaneers to keep growing

Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times SHARE COPY LINK Share CLOSE Twitter Facebook Bluesky Email Reddit Flipboard With quarterback Caleb Williams back on the field for the last month, it has been clear the Bears go as he goes. When he’s sharp, as he mostly has been, the offense can thrive against anyone. When he’s not, such as in his brutal performance Sunday, it’s nearly impossible to stop spiraling. The Bears were on their way to blowing out the woeful Buccaneers until Williams started throwing interceptions. He veered off-track and took the offense with him in a game so ugly that coach Ben Johnson said he was ‘‘grateful’’ to win 27-24 on a last-second field goal by Cairo Santos . . After the Bears opened an early 14-0 lead, the offense struggled. Williams finished 22-for-37 for 279 yards with a career-high four interceptions and two touchdowns for a 61.5 passer rating. Williams likely would disagree, but he appeared to get carried away by how unstoppable he had been lately. He carved up the Falcons, Patriots and Seahawks like he was playing a video game and might have been overconfident when it came to tight windows, off-balance throws and general free-wheeling. ‘‘The four interceptions, there are a couple where [he] didn’t see the coverage quite as well as we would’ve liked,’’ Johnson said Monday. ‘‘There’s a couple where we’re making attempts to avoid disaster, and we didn’t [burn] it and [live] on for the next play.’’ Johnson also repeatedly credited Bucs coach Todd Bowles and his fourth-ranked defense and said, ‘‘There will be [mistakes] for us to put in our memory bank and draw from next time we go against a team like that.’’ Williams opened 11-for-16 for 150 yards with two touchdowns for a 138.0 passer rating and had the Bears on the verge of a three-score lead before the interceptions started. On second-and-goal from the Bucs’ 21-yard line, Williams threw what he called a ‘‘greedy’’ pass to Rome Odunze in the end zone rather than hit Luther Burden open underneath, and safety Tykee Smith raced in front of Odunze for the interception. That began a free fall for Williams and the offense. Williams followed his strong start by completing just 11 of 21 passes for 129 yards and four interceptions, and the Bears’ two dominant drives to start the game faded as they managed only two field goals in 12 possessions after that. The Bears missed a chance to bury the Bucs by halftime, then went the entire third quarter without picking up a first down. The rushing attack fizzled, too, with D’Andre Swift and Salvon Ahmed combining to average 2.8 yards per carry. ‘‘We got out of rhythm as an offense,’’ Johnson said. The Bucs pulled within a touchdown early in the fourth quarter, then tied the score with three minutes left. Williams had a rough night, but context is everything. This wasn’t the cause for alarm it would have been at any point in his first two seasons. Whereas predecessor Justin Fields’ five-turnover game against the Bucs in 2021 fit a pattern, Williams’ dud against them was an outlier — especially this season. Before Sunday, Williams had thrown interceptions on only 1.1% of his passes in his career. Aaron Rodgers was at 1.2% during his prime. Williams has earned enough credibility that the occasional poor performance doesn’t raise questions about whether he’s the Bears’ future. And he was essential to the Bears’ winning drive. Williams got tremendous help from his defense, including a pick-six by Jaylon Johnson, but the Bears wouldn’t have won without his 38-yard pass to tight end Colston Loveland with 40 seconds left. Teams have to take the good with the bad when young quarterbacks are developing. Williams has shown promise, but he’s not a finished product yet. By no means does he get a free pass for Sunday, but he has put forth a lot more good than bad. SHARE COPY LINK Share CLOSE Twitter Facebook Bluesky Email Reddit Flipboard Jason Lieser Chicago Sun-Times Chicago Bears reporter Next Up In Chicago Bears Bears' Ben Johnson on trade deadline: 'We’ll see if there is another move or two to be made' Bucs QB Baker Mayfield accuses Bears of mimicking his cadence Bears' Cairo Santos 'had to have my teammates’ backs' with game-winner Halas Intrigue podcast: Slopfest Bears defense saves the day vs. Buccaneers Bears' Jeffery Simmons: Fans' orange tribute was 'amazing'