Bears HC Matt Eberflus looking at silver lining in Caleb Williams' shaky debut vs Titans
Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears opened their campaign with a 17-point comeback win over the Tennessee Titans at Soldier Field in Week 1. The rookie became the first quarterback in 22 years to be picked No. 1 overall pick in the draft and win on their NFL debut. However, his contribution to the win was somewhat minuscule.
Williams completed only 14 of his 29 pass attempts for 93 yards and rushed five times for 15 yards. The Bears' defense and special teams were responsible for the first two touchdowns, and kicker Cairo Santo was flawless, converting all three field goal attempts and two extra-point attempts.
Despite the quarterback's shaky performance, coach Matt Eberflus saw enough on the field to be excited about the future. During an appearance on "The Rich Eisen Show" on Monday, Eberflus said:
"I thought [Caleb Williams'] flow and his operation was good. I thought his disposition and body language, all the way through it. So he didn’t have the day that he wanted but all those things were good.
"The communications was good on the field, on the sideline, during half time. Making adjustments and I thought he did some really good things in the four minute drive at the end, made some really completions during the game," he added.
Eberflus also admitted that he expects a better performance in Week 2 against the Houston Texans, but added that he's keeping his expectations in check:
"Again, I know he wants to play better and he’s going to do that this week, but it’s a learning process for these young quarterbacks."
Caleb Williams ecstatic about Week 1 win but calls for improvement
During his post-game interview, Caleb Williams expressed his elation about the win but said he wasn't too pleased with his performance:
"Watching all the guys celebrate understanding that I need to be better. I will be better... I missed a few passes that I normally don’t miss. The small things always lead up to big things, and make those moments a lot bigger. They make games a lot closer,” Williams said.
The Bears will need their rookie quarterback to perform well if they intend to beat the Houston Texans and improve to 2-0. C.J. Stroud, the Reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year, an award Williams is likely keen on winning, was exceptional in Week 1 against the Indianapolis Colts and led his team to a hard-fought win.
The sophomore star will likely test the Bears' defense and the unit will need their quarterback's help in keeping the Texans' offense off the field as much as possible.