After narrowly escaping with a miraculous Week 1 victory over the Tennessee Titans, the Chicago Bears were brought back to reality in a tough Sunday night loss to the Houston Texans. While dropping a game to the Texans is concerning, what has Bears fans even more worried is the performance of rookie quarterback Caleb Williams. The 2023 Heisman Trophy winner looked overwhelmed, completing 23 of 37 passes for just 174 yards, throwing two interceptions, and being sacked seven times.
Williams, considered one of the most promising prospects entering the 2024 NFL season, has struggled in his first two games. So far, he has completed only 56.1% of his passes for 267 yards, with zero touchdowns and two interceptions. Despite being a rookie, Bears fans were expecting more, especially given the offensive weapons at his disposal, including wide receivers Keenan Allen, DJ Moore, and Rome Odunze. Allen’s injury in Week 1 didn’t help, but fans still hoped for stronger early performances from Williams given the hype surrounding him.
The spotlight is now shining brightly on the Bears’ coaching staff, and it’s not a flattering look. Head coach Matt Eberflus, whose hiring in 2022 was met with skepticism, is facing increasing pressure, and the team’s new offensive coordinator Shane Waldron isn’t helping matters.
Waldron, who joined the Bears after a stint with the Seattle Seahawks, has drawn heavy criticism for his game plan and play-calling. During Sunday night’s game, a video of Waldron visibly shaking while calling a play went viral, amplifying fan concerns about his ability to manage the offense.
A viral tweet from a popular Chicago sports X (formerly Twitter) account captured the sentiment perfectly: “I’m starting to see why the Seahawks just let Shane Waldron walk,” the post said, which racked up over 300,000 views.
Fans across social media have not held back in their frustrations with Waldron. One fan expressed their frustration just five quarters into Waldron’s tenure, writing, “I officially hate Shane Waldron. Took 5.5 quarters. Get him outta here.” Another pointed to Waldron’s past criticism from players, tweeting, “So far, through six quarters, I’m kinda understanding why Jaxon Smith-Njigba didn’t have many nice things to say about Shane Waldron. I get needing time to understand your personnel, but this plan doesn’t make any f—— sense.”
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Williams’ struggles, combined with Waldron’s shaky play-calling, have Bears fans feeling increasingly anxious about the direction of the team. The offensive line’s inability to protect their rookie quarterback has only worsened the situation, with Williams being sacked seven times in Week 2 alone. With no passing touchdowns yet and two interceptions through two games, Williams is off to a rocky start that fans didn’t anticipate for a player with his talent and college pedigree.
The road ahead doesn’t get any easier for the Bears, but there is hope that things could improve in Week 3. Chicago travels to Indianapolis to face the winless Colts, who are also 0-2.
While it’s a more favorable matchup on paper, the Bears will need to make significant adjustments, especially on the offensive side, if they hope to avoid further embarrassment.
All eyes will be on Williams and Waldron to see if they can right the ship and show some of the potential that had fans excited heading into the season.
