LAKE FOREST, Ill. (670 The Score) — The last time that Bears rookie quarterback Caleb Williams physically felt like he does now was in the aftermath of Nov. 18.
That was the date of Williams’ final game at USC, as rival UCLA sacked him four times during the Trojans' 38-20 loss to the Bruins inside the Los Angeles Coliseum. Williams is feeling the same type of pain once again after being sacked seven times in the Bears’ 19-13 loss to the Texans on Sunday night.
On Wednesday, Williams admitted he still feels “bruised up” following the rough game, but he isn't dealing with any restrictions.
“Just getting used to getting hit again,” Williams said Wednesday afternoon at Halas Hall. “It has been a while.
"Just getting used to that, like really hit. Getting used to that, getting used to having some games like that. It’s the NFL.”
The Bears offensive line failed to protect Williams in his second NFL start. The Texans registered 36 total pressures on Williams, including 17 combined from star pass rushers Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson. Williams had little chance for success in a crumbling pocket and was often forced to scramble.
The Bears’ team charter touched down in Chicago around 4 a.m. Monday morning, and the players were back at Halas Hall mere hours later to review the film of their disappointing performance. It was an especially difficult film study for the offensive line as Williams was under siege.
“Obviously, they can be tough when you’re not looking at the prettiest pictures,” Bears left tackle Braxton Jones said. “Maybe your quarterback’s under pressure, whatever that is, it’s not easy. But the thing is it’s taking what you can from it and getting better the next week, and I think that’s my main focus.
“I just see it’s a ton of stuff that’s fixable. It's nothing over the long run that’s a huge problem.”
Bears head coach Matt Eberflus seems to agree with that assessment. He doesn't plan to make changes to the team's starting offensive line, though left guard Teven Jenkins (thigh bruise) was sidelined from practice Wednesday. Veteran reserve Matt Pryor will step into Jenkins’ role until he’s able to return.
The Bears traded for veteran interior lineman Ryan Bates this past offseason to give them more flexibility on the offensive line, but he's suffering from a shoulder injury and was placed on injured reserve last Saturday, which will require him to miss at least three more games.
Even if the Bears wanted to make changes on their offensive line, they don't have many viable alternatives. It's a unit that simply must improve.
“We weren’t happy,” Bears right guard Nate Davis said. “No one likes losing. It’s just one of those things where we got to take the coaching, understand what we need to do better and try to flush it and keep moving.”
What’s especially frustrating for the Bears is their inability to get the running game going. Lead back D’Andre Swift has carried 24 times for just 48 yards in two games. Williams is the Bears' leading rusher thus far, carrying 10 times for 59 yards. Most of that production came on scrambles, including a 24-yard run late in the game Sunday after he was flushed from the pocket.
The Bears led the NFL with 3,012 rushing yards in 2022 and were second with 2,399 rushing yards last season. Four of the five starters are incumbents from that unit.
This Bears offense, led by new coordinator Shane Waldron, was built around the ability to run. So, what exactly is the identity of this offense?
“We’re working,” Eberflus said. “Yeah, we’re working. We’re working. And guys are working on fundamentals and we’re figuring out what we do well. It’s the second game in our offense, so we’re going to figure it out.
“We’re a work in progress. And I believe in the coaches and I believe in the players and the guys are working to get that done.”
Perhaps the Bears can get their offense going when they visit the Colts (0-2) on Sunday. The Colts have surrendered an NFL-worst 474 rushing yards in two games, including 261 yards on the ground to the Packers on Sunday.
The Bears' hope is that an efficient rushing attack can open up the entire offense. That would be alleviate pressure on Williams and represent a big step toward forging their identity.
Following the ugly showing in Houston on Sunday – and a troubling film session Monday – the Bears are aiming to showcase their best form.
“You always want to perform,” Jones said. “Sometimes you do have tough performances, but getting back out there on Sunday, it should be no surprise to do well, right? That’s what we’ve been doing and what we want to do. Obviously, it’s going to be good to do that and we want to get back out there and have a good game. That’s just what it is.”
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.