What’s Wrong With Caleb Williams & The Bears Offense?

The Chicago Bears were the talk of the 2024 offseason. The team scored the first overall pick in the draft despite winning seven games in 2023 and selected quarterback Caleb Williams. This selection, as well as the additions of Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze, instilled the belief that the Bears of old were gone.

A franchise known for its defense and toughness appeared to be slowly transitioning into one of the league’s flashiest and most exciting teams. It has only taken two weeks for fans to recalibrate. Chicago’s offense has been atrocious, and after an ugly loss to the Houston Texans in Week 2, many are wondering what exactly is going wrong.

The Chicago Bears Aren’t Getting Explosive Plays

Chicago’s offense has struggled to create big plays

The most vexing issue the Bears currently face is that the offense isn’t generating explosive plays. Williams has shown maturity, changing plays and protections at the line of scrimmage and playing with timing. While these developments are promising, Chicago didn’t select Williams to be a game manager or facilitator.

At the core of Williams’ game at USC was the ability to create splash plays. Williams’ athleticism and arm flexibility allowed him to extend plays and turn modest gains into touchdowns. There was always going to be a learning curve. Williams is no longer playing in the PAC-12. These are NFL defenses with the best athletes and coaches in the world.

However, the big plays haven’t just decreased from Williams; they’ve essentially dissipated. Through 66 attempts, he has completed one pass of over 20 yards and is averaging four yards per attempt.

Chicago Doesn’t Have a Strong Run Game

The Bears lack the scheme and talent to be a dangerous rushing team

Entering the season, the Bears were expected to be a pass-heavy team. The allocation of resources posited a shift toward modernity and a high-volume aerial attack. Now that the pass game has floundered through two weeks, it’s easy to look at the run game as a possible solution.

Unfortunately, the Bears don’t have the personnel to be an efficient rushing offense. The offensive line has been horrid, and running back D’Andre Swift, who the Bears signed in the offseason, hasn’t provided much of a jolt.

Swift is a dynamic athlete and shifty in space, but the Bears’ offensive line has struggled to create large enough running lanes to get him into the open field. Additionally, Swift lacks the vision and rushing instincts to be a productive inside zone runner.

So far, he has amassed 48 yards on 24 carries, making the run game an even less viable option than passing.

Defenses Don’t Feel Threatened by the Bears

The Bears have to earn their stripes

The consequence of a tame offense is that it allows defenses to be overly aggressive. On Sunday, the Texans were sending heat the entire night and ended up blitzing at the highest rate of DeMeco Ryans’ coaching tenure.

Blitzing can be extremely risky, as it requires taking players out of coverage to go after the quarterback. With fewer players defending the pass, the defense is more vulnerable to coverage busts and big plays. However, the Texans had little reason to fret over the Bears’ passing attack.

Williams hasn’t earned the respect of NFL defenses. He’s been inaccurate throwing downfield and has missed several big opportunities. Until he proves that he can make defenses pay for sending an extra defender, teams will continue to bring pressure.

Williams doesn’t necessarily need to uncork 50-yard missiles. Just throwing to his hot read or hitting someone like D.J. Moore or Odunze in space will be enough. But until the pass game is capable of producing big gains, Chicago will struggle to score points and sustain drives.

All stats courtesy of Pro Football Reference unless stated otherwise