Caleb Williams, Bears displaying {that a} new day is dawning in Chicago

If the Bears performed like that each Sunday morning, Chicagoans may begin their week with a skip of their steps and a track of their hearts. Hey, if the Bears performed like that each Tuesday at midnight native time, followers can be drained, however ecstatic.

A Bears victory at any hour towards any crew is savored round these components as a result of success has been so fleeting for thus very lengthy.

That’s why Chicago’s 35-16 beatdown of a woeful Jacksonville crew at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was a most welcome begin to the day for everybody whose happiness will depend on the Bears (4-2), who go right into a bye week on a wave of soccer ecstasy.

Breakfast with the Bears by no means tasted so good.

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Caleb Williams shines as Bears beat Jaguars 35-16 in London: Takeaways

All eyes, as regular, have been on rookie quarterback Caleb Williams, who overcame a foul early interception and had 4 landing passes to go together with 226 passing yards and 56 dashing yards. Veteran receiver Keenan Allen had two landing catches, as did veteran tight finish Cole Kmet, who was additionally pressed into emergency long-snapper duties.

Let’s discuss concerning the latter for a second.

I don’t know if any Bears participant has ever caught a landing cross whereas long-snapping, however I did discover two associated Kevin Fishbain-esque enjoyable info.

Lengthy snapper Patrick Mannelly had one cross thrown his method in his 16-year profession and it got here on a trick play from Brian Urlacher, of all folks, in Champaign, Unwell.

On a pretend area purpose within the second quarter of a 34-21 loss to the Packers on Oct. 7, 2002, Mannelly wound up as the middle in a “swinging gate” formation and couldn’t reel in a “cross” from the Bears linebacker, who received the ball on a flea flicker toss from receiver Marty Booker.

“Labored nice in observe,” Mannelly informed me.

As for different lengthy snappers with touchdowns, in a cursory search, I got here throughout Corridor of Famer Clyde “Bulldog” Turner, the all-downs legend from again within the Forties, who served because the crew’s lengthy snapper in addition to a middle and linebacker. On Dec. 3, 1944, Turner ran for a 48-yard landing in a 49-7 win over the World Warfare II-era Card-Pitt combo crew. I assume he snapped that sport as properly.

Again to the current day, Kmet’s double-duty day turned needed early within the sport as a result of lengthy snapper Scott Daly received damage. Kmet did an honest job, although his snap was a bit of excessive on Cairo Santos’ missed area purpose within the fourth. We’ll give Kmet a cross on that one.

Story from the sideline from Cole Kmet—

Richard Hightower: “Hey Cole, Scott’s damage.”

Kmet: “Tyler Scott?”

Hightower: “No, Scott Daly. It’s important to lengthy snap.”

Kmet: “Oh… oh s***.”

— Jason Lieser (@JasonLieser) October 13, 2024

In all three phases, the Bears performed a robust all-around sport, erasing a moribund begin that had you (or at the very least me) pondering the Jaguars have been going to steal one at their residence away from residence.

However Williams led the offense to 5 touchdowns for the second straight sport and the Bears protection pressured two takeaways and held their opponent to beneath 20 factors for the fifth time in six video games. The outlier? When the Colts gained 21-16. Protection, in fact, travels. Jacksonville helped out the Bears with eight penalties (the Bears had two for 10 yards) and by enjoying largely uninspired soccer.

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Earlier than you begin pricing out Tremendous Bowl rooms in New Orleans, an vital context to bear in mind is that the Jaguars stink and their cross protection is terrible, similar to Carolina, who Williams torched the earlier week.

And nearly as good because the Bears protection has been, it’s getting overwhelmed up. Defensive again Jaquan Brisker didn’t make the journey to London with a concussion and Kyler Gordon left Sunday’s sport early with a hamstring harm.

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Conversely, the offense is wanting fairly good. Possibly coordinator Shane Waldron doesn’t have to start out in search of an actual property agent simply but. Whereas Waldron (and to some extent head coach Matt Eberflus) have essentially the most tenuous jobs, Williams is beneath extra scrutiny than some other younger quarterback within the league merely due to the context of his place of employment. Bears QB is correct up there with Browns QB as a cursed place and Williams is the third rookie the Bears have tried on the place since 2017. And being a No. 1 total decide carries its personal pressures and historical past.

Williams raised some eyebrows across the league when he received off to a gradual begin, however he’s proven why he could possibly be so much completely different than his native predecessors. In his final 4 video games, he has thrown for 1,050 yards with 9 touchdowns and three interceptions (only one during the last three video games). The attention take a look at will let you know he’s regarded good and at instances, nice. His interception making an attempt to go deep to DJ Moore within the first half was negated by all of his good throws, none maybe higher than Allen’s second landing catch.

shoutout the 18% of those that began Keenan Allen this week pic.twitter.com/FG79iiUCxa

— NFL Fantasy Soccer (@NFLFantasy) October 13, 2024

Mitch Trubisky set the Bears rookie document with 2,193 passing yards (in 12 video games) in 2017. Williams ought to have that beat earlier than Thanksgiving. Charlie O’Rourke has Chicago’s rookie passing TD document of, uh, 11, set again in 1942 and Williams is simply two away from tying it.

Being one of the best Bears rookie quarterback of all time is simply the primary (small) step to larger targets. However it’s been a deal with to look at him develop in actual time.

Now, the nice and unhealthy information for Williams and the Bears is the simple a part of the schedule is over. After the bye, they play the Commanders in suburban Maryland. Williams, a D.C.-era native, vs. Jayden Daniels is the headline there. Then, the Bears have a highway sport in Arizona and a house sport towards the Patriots earlier than a treacherous six-game stretch towards the NFC North (with a highway sport on the 49ers sandwiched in there). That’s the place we’ll study what Williams and the Bears are manufactured from.

However for now, Chicagoans can loosen up and really feel some pleasure, for as soon as, that there’s a lot of Bears soccer left to be performed.