The Chicago Bears have confirmed lots this season. After being doubted early on for their last-second wins and poor opponents, the Bears have proven they will grasp with the finest the NFC has to supply as the common season involves an in depth.
Sunday evening offered extra proof that was the case, as Caleb Williams turned in arguably the finest sport of his profession in a 42-38 loss to Brock Purdy and the San Francisco 49ers. With time winding down, Williams almost led one more game-winning drive, developing simply quick on a move to the finish zone as time expired.
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It was a disappointing consequence, however Williams and the Bears’ offense can still hold their heads high after dropping 38 factors.
The defense, nevertheless, cannot say the identical factor. After the loss, security Jaquan Brisker shouldered the blame, saying the defense “let the offense down” in the shootout, per ESPN.
“We let the offense down,” Bears security Jaquan Brisker mentioned. “I’m going to say it. We let the offense down, period. I feel like Caleb and them, they gave us enough points to do what we had to do to win. The defense didn’t.”
It did not appear like that might be the case early, as the Bears picked off Purdy on the first play of the sport and ran it again for an early landing. After that, Purdy diced up the Bears’ defense, finishing 24 of 33 makes an attempt for 303 yards and three passing touchdowns. Purdy additionally added two speeding touchdowns, giving him 5 scores on the day.
While Bears coach Ben Johnson did not take issues so far as Brisker after the sport, Johnson admitted the Bears’ defense did not do sufficient to “affect” Purdy in the pocket. The Bears registered only one sack in the contest, and infrequently disrupted Purdy’s rhythm and timing on move performs. Though the Bears’ defense pressured two punts — one thing no different defense has accomplished towards the 49ers in December — giving up 42 factors proved to be an excessive amount of for the Bears’ offense to match.
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But it almost received the job accomplished. After a gradual begin, which noticed the Bears go three-and-out on their first two drives, Williams put factors on the board in 5 of the group’s final seven drives. In doing so, he appeared like the franchise quarterback Bears followers have been dreaming of since the days of Sid Luckman. Williams linked on a number of high-level throws in the contest, with two lengthy touchdowns to rookies Luther Burden and Colston Loveland — each of whom additionally turned in standout performances — and a handful of correct, chunk beneficial properties to maintain the chains shifting when the Bears wanted it the most.
Williams completed the contest 25 of 42, throwing for 330 yards and two scores in the loss. He almost had a 3rd landing as time ran out, however a potential game-winning move fell in need of wideout Jahdae Walker in the finish zone on the sport’s ultimate play.
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Williams took duty for the miss, saying he “can’t dirt the ball” in that scenario. Though the Bears misplaced, Williams mentioned the sport proved the Bears are “a team to be reckoned with” forward of its first playoff look since 2020.
If Williams can proceed to play the approach he did Sunday evening, his assertion might be confirmed proper. As the common season involves an in depth, Williams seems to be trending in the proper route with the playoffs looming.
The Bears’ defense, on the different hand, must discover a method to regroup over the subsequent couple weeks. For in addition to Williams and the offense carried out Sunday evening, giving up 42 factors in a sport is never going to consequence in a win and the opponents are going to get solely harder in the postseason.