The Chicago Bears suffered yet another crushing defeat in Week 16, falling 34-17 to the Detroit Lions, marking their ninth consecutive loss and dropping their season record to 4-11.
Despite the Bears’ continued struggles, rookie quarterback Caleb Williams has been a silver lining, and he was at it again on Sunday.
Williams completed 26 of 40 passes for 334 yards and two touchdowns. He played with poise, timing, and accuracy and completed some of his most impressive passes of the season.
Caleb Williams with the beautiful TD ball to Keenan Allen
— Jacob Infante (@jacobinfante24) December 22, 2024
197 yards, 2 touchdowns and no picks for Caleb in the first half pic.twitter.com/0xtVzR3v3L
Williams’ 334 passing yards were a testament to his growing confidence. He also demonstrated his dual-threat ability, leading the Bears in rushing with 34 yards on six carries. While the Bears’ offensive line continues to struggle, and their running game remains inconsistent, Williams has done everything he can to keep his team competitive.
Caleb Williams now holds the dubious distinction of having nine losses in which he threw zero interceptions, which, according to NFL.com's Eric Edholm, is the most in the NFL since 1950, when the league began tracking the stat. Williams' streak of passes without an interception is now up to a remarkable 326.
Bears fans should feel really good about Williams' performance on Sunday, especially because he gave Lions OC Ben Johnson an up-close look at the quarterback he could hitch his wagon to. Chicago is expected to pursue Johnson as their next head coach this offseason. While it's been widely reported that Johnson won't jump at just any head coaching opportunity, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported he is intrigued by the Bears' gig, and that was before Williams put all of his incredible skills on display against Detroit.
Caleb Williams in his two games against the Lions.
— AngeloFF (@angelo_fantasy) December 22, 2024
590 yards passing
5 touchdowns
0 turnovers
73 yards on 10 carries
Nice little audition for Ben Johnson? pic.twitter.com/yY3Kqq0WB7
Indeed, the Chicago Bears' 2024 season has been dead for a while. But the next two games, much like Week 16, are about much more than the outcome. Instead, they're about the continued development of Caleb Williams. And even in a losing effort against the Lions, Williams checked every box. He'll look to continue that momentum on Thursday night against the Seattle Seahawks.