Caleb Williams shows C.J. Stroud is exception, not rule for rookie QBs

Carmen Vitali

NFL Reporter

Well, Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams got into triple-digits passing on Sunday night?

That’s not likely to make anyone feel better when Williams’ final stat line against the Texans in Houston was 23 of 37 for 174 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions. Williams did lead his first touchdown drive for the Bears. It was an eight-play, 49-yard sequence that was capped off with a two-yard touchdown run by Khalil Herbert.

There were incremental improvements.

But there’s no way around how ugly the final result looked, especially in the second half and especially in direct comparison with the league’s Offensive Rookie of the Year on the opposite sideline. With the roster and situation Williams was coming into, there were expectations all across Chicagoland that Williams would end up having a 2023 C.J. Stroud-type season this year.

And he still could. It wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows for Stroud in his first season. Not to mention, Stroud’s 2023 season shouldn’t be the expectation for any rookie. He was the exception, not the rule.

But for posterity’s sake, let’s take a look back on Stroud’s first season: Stroud took 11 sacks in his first two games. He also passed for 626 yards and two touchdowns in that span.

Williams has taken nine sacks so far this season, with a whopping seven of them coming on Sunday night. It was a combination of things, with Williams holding the ball a bit too long, his offensive line and offensive line scheme failing him, the play calling not doing Williams any favors. The Bears are still searching for a run game. We didn’t see enough screens or quick passes for my liking.

Instead, Williams went 0-for-7 on pass attempts over 15 yards. There was a play-action where Williams had to turn his back to the defense only to have to whip around and process/reset quickly.

Oh yeah, and the Texans recorded an insane 36 pressures on the night, according to NFL’s Next Gen Stats.

Williams was pressured on 36 dropbacks. He attempted 37 passes. Oof.

What was supposed to be the best situation around a quarterback taken first overall hasn’t been through the first two weeks of the season. The Bears didn’t have to pay the price going up against the Tennessee Titans in Week 1, still pulling out a win thanks to the defense and special teams. But against the AFC South favorites in primetime, it was a whole different ball game.

What’s more, the defense nearly pulled it off a second time.

Williams and the Bears offense might have struggled in Week 1, but Week 2 was Williams’ “Welcome to the NFL” game. We saw Williams learn in real time the things he can and can’t get away with in the pros.

For instance, a prayer thrown up in the first half that would have been completed in college ended up being intercepted. Williams was bailed out by a Texans’ defensive holding penalty on that one but it was a close call. Williams’ Houdini-esque escape attempts which he was so good at doing at USC, resulted in a sack and an actual interception in this game.

Williams joked that he was “a little bruised up” after the game. It’s nothing serious but it’s hard to ignore the absolute defeat on his face toward the end of the game after being harassed by the likes of Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson all night. They had three sacks between the two of them.

It’s not that Williams doesn’t have the talent we all saw in college. It’s not that he can’t elevate the team around him. It’s just that he hasn’t had enough time to fully grasp it himself. The system needs to be second nature so that when pressure is bearing down on him, he doesn’t have to think in order to make the right decision.

That being said, the Bears roster we all talked about being cohesive and complete this offseason needs to start playing like it. There’s no reason Williams should be facing 36 pressures in a single game. Veteran players can’t be false starting and incurring penalties. The offense has to be more balanced from a play-calling standpoint. In the early days, Williams needs to be able to lean on his team as he’s developing. It shouldn’t be his job to carry the team so early.

But Stroud was able to do it, anyway.

Sure, Stroud had higher yardage totals. But the Texans still lost games in the early aughts. They were 3-4 to start the season and lost their first two. Even as the year went on, there were still hiccups. Stroud threw for zero touchdowns in a loss to the Carolina Panthers in Week 8. He followed it up with a five-touchdown game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 9. Stroud had a 54.8 passer rating in a Week 14 loss to the Jets where he also suffered a concussion. He came back in Week 17 to trounce the Titans and finish the season with two straight wins to earn the Texans a spot in the postseason.

The point I’m making is that progress isn’t linear. That’s something I kept stressing throughout the offseason and into the preseason. With a new scheme and new pieces and a new-to-the-league quarterback, I said it might not look good to begin with. I’m not going to make any sweeping conclusions about this team until at least the halfway point — and neither should you.

It’s two weeks. The Bears are 1-1. The defense is playing out of their minds.

Just give it more time and we could yet be gushing about Williams like we do about Stroud with the benefit of hindsight. It’s just too early to be jumping ship yet.

Adjust your expectations, Chicago, and just look for incremental improvements for now.

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.