CHICAGO (670 The Score) — In the aftermath of his rocky NFL debut, Bears rookie quarterback Caleb Williams' past struggles felt close.
“It was not too far down the road,” Williams said Sunday, being intentionally vague. “I hate that you bring it up.
“It was the green and gold team or blue and gold team that Cole Kmet played for.”
Williams was referencing a game last October in South Bend, where he threw three interceptions for USC in a 48-20 loss at Notre Dame. It was his worst collegiate performance and part of a frustrating stretch in his final season at USC.
The Trojans were unbeaten entering their annual rivalry game against the Fighting Irish, but Notre Dame’s defensive game plan stifled Williams and USC lost five of its last six games in the regular season.
In Williams’ NFL debut Sunday at Soldier Field, he scuffled similarly, though with a different end result. The Bears rallied from a 17-0 deficit to earn a 24-17 win over the Titans, doing so without scoring an offensive touchdown.
Williams was 14-of-29 for 93 yards as the Bears managed just 148 yards of offense. They reached the red zone just once, settling for a chip-shot field goal by kicker Cairo Santos.
It wasn’t what Williams imagined for his first NFL start, but he remained poised as a leader throughout this game.
“He was himself,” Bears receiver DJ Moore said. “He never got too high or too low about anything. So, that was good.”
That’s an important aspect of Williams’ place as a team captain for the Bears. Though Williams is a 22-year-old rookie, his teammates are leaning on him this season. That comes with the territory of being a starting quarterback.
During halftime Sunday, head coach Matt Eberflus shared a message with his Bears that they would pull together to earn a victory. Williams embodied that type of belief during the second half as his team came roaring back.
Though Williams wasn’t the one leading the Bears’ comeback, he was part of the competitive spirit it took to win.
"It shows the personality, how much everybody believes in ourselves, the Chicago Bears,” Williams said. “Defense believes in offense, offense believes in defense, special teams and so forth. We're happy to get this win."
Quite the first impression
When Bears general manager Ryan Poles weighs transactions and decisions, a key component of his process is consulting with Eberflus and the coaching staff.
On Aug. 23, as the Bears were considering a trade with the Seahawks to acquire veteran pass rusher Darrell Taylor, Poles consulted with members of the coaching staff who previously worked in Seattle. That includes offensive coordinator Shane Waldron and safeties coach Andre Curtis.
The Bears liked what they saw from Taylor in scouting him, but they wanted to confirm a simple question with the coaches – does he fit Eberflus’ style of play? The feedback was yes, so the Bears sent the Seahawks a sixth-round pick to land Taylor.
In his Bears debut, Taylor had a strong performance in recording eight tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble.
The Bears had questions about their pass rush. Taylor seems to be an answer.
“He played his behind off,” veteran safety Kevin Byard told reporters Monday. “Just watching the film, you can see him flying around. Even talking to (Montez Sweat) at the end of the game – I know he wanted to join the party and I said, ‘You’re one of the ones who is going to get a lot of attention throughout this year. That’s how it goes. When you get a big contract, go to the Pro Bowl and make big plays, they’re going to chip you and do all different things like that. Some games you’re going to open up a lot of one-on-ones for other guys to make plays.’”
O-line still under evaluation
Bears center Coleman Shelton didn’t necessarily win his starting role so much as veteran Ryan Bates bowed out of the competition.
When Bates suffered a shoulder injury during training camp – just as Nate Davis (groin) returned to his place at right guard – the position battle at center effectively ended. Shelton settled into his role snapping to Williams while Bates worked his way back to health.
Bates returned to action last week but played a reserve rotational role along with Davis at right guard. Eberflus indicated the Bears will re-evaluate both the center and right guard positions.
“We'll see where it goes this week,” Eberflus said.
Shelton struggled in his Bears debut, as he was responsible for several plays breaking down, leaving Williams to scramble from a crumbling pocket. Davis, whose lack of consistency has been a concern, didn’t play particularly well either.
Bates offers the Bears stability on the offensive line. It’s just a matter of where they see him best suited for this starting group.
Lesser role for Kmet?
In 2022, Bears tight end Cole Kment played on 93% of the team's offensive snaps. In 2023, that mark was 77%.
On Sunday, Kmet worked just 48% of the Bears’ offensive snaps. Veteran newcomer Gerald Everett played 61% of the snaps.
Kmet and Everett each had just one target and one short reception, with neither playing a significant role in the passing game. Moving forward, Eberflus indicated the Bears will lean on both tight ends – even if that means a reduced role for Kmet.
“We just have another tight end that is a good option,” Eberflus said, referring to Everett. “To be able to change and adjust the matchups that the defense has to use, so we have different personnel groups.”
The Bears signed Everett to a two-year deal this past offseason. He previously played for Waldron in Seattle. Kmet is coming off a career year in 2023, when he hauled in 73 receptions for 719 yards and eight scores.
On to the next one
The Bears return to action when they visit the Houston Texans on Sunday Night Football.
The Texans were a breakout team in 2023, winning the AFC South and earning a victory in the wild-card round. Quarterback C.J. Stroud was the Offensive Rookie of the Year and set a standard the Bears hope Williams can reach. The Texans won 29-27 against the Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium in their opener Sunday.
Stroud threw for 234 yards and two scores in the Texans' opener. The Bears will have a steep challenge in their second game.
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.