the Chicago Bears‘ losing streak continued on Sunday with a 30-27 overtime defeat to the Minnesota Vikings.
While the Bears managed to force overtime, the game was marred by two major special teams blunders.
In the first half, Cairo Santos had a field goal blocked, and in the second half, return specialist DeAndre Carter muffed a punt. Carter’s mistake shifted the momentum of the game. Instead of the Bears getting the ball down 17-10, the Vikings took possession in the red zone and scored to make it 24-10. Although Santos redeemed himself by hitting a field goal to send the game into overtime, the Bears couldn’t capitalize, resulting in another gut-wrenching loss. Unfortunately, even with their late-game efforts, this outcome was something Bears fans had come to expect.
However, not all is bleak for the Bears following this defeat, as several players stood out. Here are three Bears whose stock is rising despite the loss to the Vikings:
1. Caleb Williams
Caleb Williams’ development appears to be back on track following two games under the new offensive coordinator, Thomas Brown. Last week, Williams was efficient, quickly releasing the ball and completing 74% (23/31) of his passes for 231 yards.
This week, despite a lower completion percentage, Williams remained effective with the ball. He finished the game with 340 yards, completing 68% (32/47) of his passes, and threw two touchdowns. While 47 pass attempts isn’t ideal for every game, the way Williams handled the situation demonstrated significant growth.
Earlier in the season, Williams threw 52 passes, completing only 53% of them, in a loss to the Colts. Seeing a 5% increase in his completion rate, even with five fewer attempts, is a major improvement.
Another area where Williams showed growth was in his deep passing. Against the Vikings, he completed four passes of over 20 yards.
Finally, his success with downfield throws is exactly what Bears fans had been waiting for. Now that it’s happening, confidence in Williams is soaring once again.
Over the past two weeks, Williams has proven he can make any throw on the field, which is sure to get national media attention.