WATCH: Caleb Williams giving cold shoulder to OC Shane Waldron goes viral as Bears struggle massively vs. Patriots
The Chicago Bears' offensive woes seemingly hit a new low on Sunday as cameras caught rookie quarterback Caleb Williams appearing to brush off offensive coordinator Shane Waldron during their matchup against the New England Patriots. The tense sideline moment came as the Bears stumbled through a less-than-satisfactory offensive showing.
The Bears' offensive unit struggled in a 19-3 loss to a 2-7 Patriots team, generating just 122 yards and averaging a mere 2.8 yards per play through three quarters. Waldron's screen-heavy play-calling in the first half proved ineffective as the Patriots' defense consistently snuffed out these attempts, leading to visible frustration on the Bears' sideline.
This latest setback adds to a troublesome season for Chicago (4-5). After suffering a painful Hail Mary loss to the Washington Commanders and getting blown out by the Arizona Cardinals in Week 9, the Bears lost what was considered a must-win game.
Williams, who had thrown for 1,665 yards, nine touchdowns and five interceptions this season entering the game, has issues with deep-ball accuracy. The rookie quarterback completed just 23.1% of his attempts traveling 20 or more yards, ranking 34th out of 35 qualifying quarterbacks with a 36.3 passer rating on such attempts, as per TruMedia.
Pressure mounting on the Bears' offensive leadership and Caleb Williams
The offensive breakdown against New England poses new questions to Shane Waldron's job security. Waldron's offense has taken a step backward despite his roster being improved in all aspects. The team experiences pre-snap penalties and apparent breaks between Caleb Williams and receivers.
Williams acknowledged his recent accuracy issues earlier in the week.
"Not being accurate, not being on time with things is frustrating because it's kind of been my thing," he said. "Something I've been at least pretty solid at. And right now, I'm not as solid as I've been, not as solid as I pride myself on."
Chicago coach Matt Eberflus has already indicated Williams needs to be "cleaner" with his progressions. His completion percentage has plummeted in losses to 57.1%, compared to when they were winning. This only serves to heighten the pressure on both Caleb Williams and his offensive coordinator as Chicago's season teeters in the balance.
For this home game, the Bears were touchdown favorites, the largest spread for Eberflus. Now, instead, they have stretched out their offensive frustrations to extend peril over their nine-game home winning streak at Soldier Field.