For a moment, let's ignore the fact that the Chicago Bears have lost four in a row. Let's also ignore the fact that the Bears did everything they possibly could to beat the Green Bay Packers on Sunday before losing by way of a blocked field goal.
It was yet another dose of heartbreak for Bears fans, but at this point, what's new? We've seen this movie before.
Let's take the negatives out of the equation for a moment, because we all know how this eventually ends. Head coach Matt Eberflus is going to be fired. He has to be. There is no other possible way this season ends.
Looking at the positive, though, this Bears offense looked completely different against Green Bay. It was their first game since former offensive coordinator Shane Waldron was fired. Instead, passing game coordinator Thomas Brown stepped in to handle those duties.
By the end of the game, fans had noticed a stark difference between the Waldron-led offense and this new version led by Brown. For starters, rookie quarterback Caleb Williams looked a whole lot more comfortable.
Why was he more comfortable? It turns out, having more time to read and process at the line of scrimmage is, in fact, an advantage.
Caleb Williams said new OC Thomas Brown was quick to get play calls in as soon as the previous play ended. Williams said getting the call sooner gives him more time at the line of scrimmage to make adjustments.
— Sean Hammond (@sean_hammond) November 17, 2024
Before Waldron was fired, one of the many gripes against his leadership was the fact that there seemed to be countless times Williams was rushed prior to snapping the ball. He didn't have enough time to read the defense before the snap, and many times, play calls would come in late.
More Bears news:
We'd been used to seeing Williams glance over to the sideline in confusion, wondering what exactly the call was going to be.
Without actually saying it, Williams hinted at the fact that Brown did the things Waldron could not.
Against the Packers, he was able to get the play calls from Brown in a hurry, noting that Brown would be in his ear with the next play immediately following the conclusion of the previous one.
Despite a heartbreaking loss on the blocked field goal, Caleb Williams and the Bears offense looked a whole lot better
Just looking at Williams, specifically, Brown was able to do a much better job as the play-caller.
In the loss to Green Bay, Williams had the most total yards (301) he's had in his last five games, including a career-high 70 rushing yards.
Williams also posted the most passing yards along with the highest quarterback rating, completion percentage and yards per attempt over his last four.
The fact that Williams was seen taking a lot more of those quick, easy throws was a sure sign the Bears did the right thing parting with Waldron. It's something fans have been pounding the table for over the last several weeks. Williams has not done a good job taking the easy throws, nor had Waldron schemed them up all that well.
At the very least, Chicago now has a play-caller who will not only allow Williams to make those easy completions, but coach him to do so while putting him in a good position as well. This is going to bode well for Williams' development going forward and will undoubtedly help him ascend.
Despite the loss, Williams showed immense progress thanks to a formidable game plan from Brown.