All kinds of thoughts were running through Caleb Williams’ mind as he drove home after the Chicago Bears’ heartbreaking elimination in the National Football League sectional playoffs.
One thing that particularly struck him Sunday night was realizing that instead of attending a video session on Monday, he and his teammates were going to empty their lockers. Williams also felt a strong sense of gratitude after the 20-17 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
“Bringing life, bringing joy, bringing excitement, being a Chicago Bears fan, being able to cheer us on,” Williams listed Monday.
“I’m really proud of it. It’s really coolhonestly, to be able to have these little things like that. Just being able to have the city behind you. You lose that game, you walk off the field and the fans stand up and cheer and roar in a difficult moment. That matters a lot. »
The Bears have come a long way under the leadership of Ben Johnson, who just completed his first season at the helm of the team.
The Bears finished the campaign with a record of 11 wins and six losses and won their first National Association North Division title since 2018. A year ago, they ranked last in their division.
Also, they won a playoff game for the first time in 15 years. Along the way, they provided plenty of thrills.
The Bears amassed seven wins — a record in NFL history — while trailing in the final two minutes of regulation, including a thrilling game against the Green Bay Packers in the first round of the playoffs.
And on Sunday, it looked like the Bears once again had the power to turn things around.
Williams made an incredible touchdown pass in the final seconds of regulation. But on his final pass of the game, a misunderstanding with DJ Moore led to an interception. Matthew Stafford then led the Rams into position for the game-changing field goal.
Instead of preparing for a trip to Seattle for the National Championship Game, the Bears are looking ahead to the offseason, but in a much better position than they were a year ago.
Williams wants to be more specific
Williams made great strides in his second season and first in Johnson’s system, throwing for a franchise record 3,942 yards, 27 touchdowns and seven interceptions. His accuracy remains an issue, however, and it’s something he plans to improve in the offseason.
Williams completed 58.1 percent of his passes and ranked 24th among qualified players. The only other quarterback below 60% was Cam Ward of the Tennessee Titans at 59.8%.
“Was I too forward? Was I too far back? Williams asked. Was I consistent enough in my footwork and did I bend over and fall off the mound, as they say? Things like that. »
Furthermore, the Bears won’t have to worry about their offensive line this offseason. This is a big change from recent years.
General manager Ryan Poles rebuilt the interior of the line by securing the services of guards Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson and signing center Drew Dalman to a contract. He also drafted Ozzy Trapilo in the second round
The Bears could use a little help on defense. They tended to concede long offensive streaks, and finished in 22nd place, tied with four other teams, with 35 sacks of opposing quarterbacks.
