What we learned about Caleb Williams, Bears offense in win over Rams originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago

CHICAGO — It took a while, but Caleb Williams and the Bears’ offense finally woke up Sunday at Soldier Field against the Los Angeles Rams … at least for two drives.

The Bears’ starting quarterback and offense spent the entire first half walking around like an inflatable tube man outside a car dealership. Nothing helped and thanks to their defense they only took the lead at half time.

The fans became restless during the first half as Williams was under constant pressure and missed some open throws.

But the Bears’ offense that was talked about all offseason — the theoretical one — emerged in the second half.

Chicago’s first drive of the second half was a 12-play, 74-yard drive that ended in a Williams dart to DJ Moore for a touchdown. The ride had a good mix of running and passing, some pace and no mental miscues.

Their next drive showed their explosiveness. Williams hit tight end Cole Kmet for a big gain up the seam, and then D’Andre Swift ripped off a 36-yard touchdown run that proved the difference in a 24-18 victory that pushed the Bears’ record to 2 brought -2. .

Williams finished the day 17-for-23 for 157 yards and one score. Swift rushed for 93 yards and a touchdown, while also catching seven passes for 72 yards.

Here’s what we learned in the Bears’ 24-18 win over the Rams:

They will do it themselves

With the offense yielding nothing for a quarter and a half, the Bears’ defense was once again asked to release Williams and Co.

After the Bears’ 8-play, 9-yard drive ended in a punt, defensive star Montez Sweat made the game-changing play they so desperately needed.

On first and 10 of their own 20, Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford dropped back and was sacked by Sweat, who fired the ball loose. Cornerback Kyler Gordon recovered the ball at the LA 16-yard line, setting up the Bears’ offense with a short field.

One they almost wasted.

An incomplete pass to Moore and a 1-yard run by Swift set up third-and-9. Williams’ pass to Keenan Allen in the end zone fell incomplete, but the Rams were flagged for pass interference on the play, giving the Bears a new set of downs at the 1-yard line.

There was no speed option this time.

The Bears’ offense was a jumbo package with backup center Doug Kramer at fullback for Roschon Johnson. The Bears handed the ball to Johnson and the sophomore dove into the end zone to give them a 7-6 lead.

No attacking solution in the first half

The Bears’ offense came under fire early in the season for its inability to run the ball, poor pass protection, lack of execution and confusing play calling.

None of that was better in the first half of Sunday.

Midway through the second quarter, the Bears had 50 net yards. That included an 8-play, 9-yard drive that took 6:14 off the clock and ended in a punt.

That drive included two penalties from Darnell Wright, a penalty from Coleman Shelton and an injury to left guard Teven Jenkins. Jenkins did not return due to a rib injury.

Williams went 8-for-13 for 71 yards in the first half. He was under pretty constant pressure as Rams rookies Jared Verse and Braden Fiske gave the Bears O-line hell.

Williams showed good and bad in the first half.

Hanging in a muddy pocket, he took a hit and delivered a screen pass to running back D’Andre Swift for 27 yards. But a few plays later, Williams missed an open DJ Moore in the end zone, and the Bears had to settle for a field goal to take a 10–6 lead into halftime.

The Bears’ offense wakes up from hibernation

After the Rams opened the third quarter with another field goal to cut the lead to 10-9, Williams and the offense dusted off their best drive of the season.

The No. 1 overall pick powered a 12-play, 74-yard drive where the Bears used pace, stayed ahead of the sticks and distributed the ball to players of different skill sets.

The drive ended with Williams throwing a dart to Moore in the back of the end zone for his first career touchdown at Soldier Field. Moore had a defender draped over him and did well to secure the pass as he got inside the lines with both feet.

The Rams responded with a touchdown drive of their own, cutting the lead 17-15 after a failed two-point attempt. The quick score put Williams under pressure again and the offense bounced back.

They did.

Williams threw a spot down the seam to tight end Cole Kmet 22 yards on second-and-10. The Bears picked up the pace after the completion, and Swift ripped off a 36-yard touchdown run on the next play to give the Bears a 24-15 lead.

That’s the Bears offense people expected at the start of the season.

The Rams had a chance to drive for the winning score, but safety Jaquan Brisker picked off Matthew Stafford to secure the win with 56 seconds left.

The Bears’ defense kept them in it in the first half, and Williams and the offense finally showed up in the second half to get back to .500 and quiet the questions around them… at least for a week.