National Football League

A less than perfect debut for Caleb Williams can't spoil a perfect Chicago day

Updated Sep. 8, 2024 6:27 p.m. ET

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Carmen Vitali

NFL Reporter

It was a perfect Chicago day on Sunday.

The morning saw temperatures in the low 50s. The crispness of fall was tangible — especially with the promise of real football hanging in the air.

It was a perfect Chicago day on Sunday.

Pulling up to Soldier Field, you could smell the brats on the grill, the Old Style being poured and the masses of navy and orange tailgate setups with fans clad to match.

It was a perfect Chicago day on Sunday.

By the time the clock hit zero, the Bears had beaten the visiting Tennessee Titans by a score of 24-17… without ever scoring an offensive touchdown.

It was a perfect Chicago day on Sunday.

Defense and special teams … that's what Chicago does. That's what the Bears are known for. But admittedly, things were supposed to be different now.

'Big kudos to defense & special teams' – Caleb Williams after Bears' win

What the day wasn't, was a perfect debut for their new superstar under center. The Caleb Williams jerseys were rampant among those aforementioned tailgates as hope sprang eternal for a franchise savior who hadn't played a meaningful snap in his No. 18 jersey.

The rookie completed 14 of his 29 pass attempts for just 93 yards. The offense itself registered just 148 total net yards. The Tennessee defensive front gave Chicago's offensive line a lot more than it bargained for and will probably end up being much better than anyone was giving them credit for by the time this season is all said and done. 

As frustrating as it was for the offense, the defense and even some help from special teams, kept the Bears afloat. It was Simone Biles' husband, Bears safety Jonathan Owens, who started it with a scoop-and-score on a blocked punt. Second-year player Tyrique Stevenson had a pick-six. Williams threw the two-point conversion on the latter to running back D'Andre Swift but other than that, Williams himself couldn't find the end zone.

"We know it's going to be like that sometimes," said Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson, who had one of the defense's interceptions on the day. "We have to step up for (the offense) and hopefully it doesn't have to be the other way around but we're anticipating at some point they're going to have to put us on their back, as well."

He's right.

There's a lot of new on this Bears offense. It's what I've been preaching all offseason. Even with a roster this talented and a prospect this highly touted, you can't draft reps. You can't beat time.

It could really be that simple in Chicago. There were a few near-hits that were encouraging from Williams. On his very first series, for instance, he rolled out on third down, needing three yards, and fired a dart to a spot he hoped wide receiver D.J. Moore could get to, well away from his chasing defender. It was just out of reach for Moore but the thought process was there. To be able to see that materialize while on the run is what makes Williams special. As he gets to know his receivers more, and more importantly as they get to know him, those near-hits will become actual hits. Those will be the plays everyone has come to expect from Williams. But right now, they just haven't been together long enough. It's Week 1, guys. Of course it's not a finished product yet.

Mark Sanchez & Adam Amin break down Caleb Williams' first career win

Not to bring up that team to the north, but think about what we saw from Jordan Love and the Green Bay Packers last season. Love had been on the bench, absorbing the scheme, for three years before he took his first snap as the team's main starter in 2023. He knew the offense like the back of his hand.

Granted, Week 1 went decidedly better for Love than it did for Williams, but for most of the first half of the season, things were very up and down for Love and his offense. Head coach Matt LaFleur didn't quite trust his team and was still getting his relationship with Love as his play-caller down. The Packers figured it out by Week 10 or so. The Bears can very much do the same thing.

Williams doesn't have the benefit of knowing this scheme. Nor do any of his teammates, with Shane Waldron installing his system just this past offseason. Its touchpoints are different. Its concepts, while simple, take time to build upon. Patience is key, however hard it is to come by in this league.

The Bears' identity won't change overnight. That should never have been the expectation for the team or for Williams.

For now, it was a perfect Chicago day.

And it resulted in a win for the Bears.

Carmen Vitali is an NFL Reporter for FOX Sports. Carmen had previous stops with The Draft Network and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. She spent six seasons with the Bucs, including 2020, which added the title of Super Bowl Champion (and boat-parade participant) to her résumé. You can follow Carmen on Twitter at @CarmieV. 

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