The good and the bad: The 3 most important Caleb Williams plays in Sunday’s loss vs. Colts

INDIANAPOLIS – When he stepped up to the podium to meet with members of the media, Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams had no idea he attempted a whopping 52 passes during Sunday’s loss against the Indianapolis Colts.

“I threw it 52 times? Jeez,” Williams said.

On an afternoon when everybody was wondering if the Bears would finally find some success in the run game, Williams threw for 363 yards on 33 of 52 passing. He tossed two touchdowns and two interceptions. He also lost a fumble.

In the end, the turnovers proved too costly in a loss, 21-16, on Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium. But in doing so, Williams became the first Bears quarterback to throw for 350 yards or more since Mitchell Trubisky did it twice in 2018.

“I do whatever the team needs,” Williams said. “So if it’s 50 times, it’s 50 times. I can’t have the two turnovers with those 50 attempts. If it ends up being 10 times and I complete nine of those 10 and we have 300 yards rushing and four touchdowns, I’m fully aware, fully ready to do whatever the team needs.”

Sunday’s game provided some glimpses of hope, even if the immediate result was a loss. Here are the three most important plays Williams made – or didn’t make – during the game.

1. Fourth-quarter fumble

Let’s start with the bad one: The fourth-quarter turnover that more or less put the game out of reach.

The Bears defense did a tremendous job, as it has done all season, of giving the offense chances. It did it again midway through the fourth quarter on Sunday. With just under seven minutes to play, Williams and the offense took over at their own 18-yard line. Down by five points, the Bears needed a touchdown drive.

Then it was over before it began.

Williams faked a handoff to the running back and looked to throw, but he had only about a second before Colts edge rusher Laiatu Latu stripped the football from his hands. The Colts recovered the fumble and their offense wound up scoring a touchdown a few plays later.

On the play, Williams saw two defenders on DJ Moore, his first read. His second read, Rome Odunze, was popping free just as Williams was hit.

“When I got to the top of the drop,” Williams said. “I definitely felt Latu coming around the edge, so I tried to step up. Small movements, nothing huge because I also saw Rome about to pop behind the linebacker.”

For Williams, there was nothing he could do. Tight ends Cole Kmet and Marcedes Lewis appeared to be responsible for blocking Latu on the play, and it simply didn’t work.

2. Williams and Odunze score 1st touchdown

Just minutes before the strip sack dashed the Bears’ hopes, Williams and Odunze connected for their first career touchdown. With 8:25 remaining in the fourth quarter, the Bears had a first-and-goal at the 1-yard line.

Odunze lined up in the slot and cut to his left. Williams faked a handoff and lofted the ball toward Odunze, who had a step on Colts cornerback Kenny Moore. It marked the first passing touchdown of Williams’ career and the first touchdown reception for Odunze.

Their touchdown celebration included them fighting over the football. Both of them probably wanted it as a keepsake. Odunze said after the game that Williams is letting him have this one.

“He’s going to have plenty in his career, and a lot more than me, so he blessed me with the ball,” Odunze said.

It was a notable touchdown from the 1-yard line after the Bears had failed to punch in a touchdown in a similar situation earlier in the game.

Odunze finished the game with six catches for 112 yards and a touchdown. Williams targeted him 11 times, tied for the most on the team (Kmet had 11 targets and Moore had 10). For Odunze, those were all career highs.

Williams said he and Odunze have been working hard after practice to speed up their chemistry. Williams also told Odunze that he wanted to get him the football more. Odunze had just three catches over the first two games.

“I think watching film, going through practices, things like that, I’ve told Rome that I was going to get him the ball more,” Williams said. “[It’s] the routes he runs, the trust and belief that I have in him.”

3. Interception in traffic

Williams threw two interceptions in the game, both picked off by Colts cornerback Jaylon Jones (not to be confused with Bears cornerback Jaylon Jones). The second one came early in the third quarter and was a throw into heavy traffic intended for Odunze. A defender got a hand in the passing lane and knocked the ball into Jones’ waiting arms.

This play was another example of Williams and Odunze working on their connection, albeit with a negative result.

“That pick, the defender’s back was turned and it’s always one of those rules that as a QB, an offense, when a defender’s back is turned to one of your guys, you give him a chance because obviously [the defender’s] not looking at the ball,” Williams said. “The corner made a good break on the ball once it was tipped.”

Williams was fine with his decision to give Odunze a chance.

“I should’ve body caught it,” Odunze said. “I think trying to get my hands on the ball allowed the defender to deflect it.”

Williams firmly believes his extra practice reps with Odunze are going to pay off. He said they will do 10 or 15 extra routes after practice every day. That gives him the trust in Odunze to go out and make a play in situations like that.