After a week off following their offense’s strong performance against Jacksonville in London, Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears might have been better off without a Week 7 bye.
They will take the break and head into a matchup on Sunday against the Washington Commanders (5-2), feeling ready to compete in an NFC North that is shaping up to be the toughest division in the NFL.
“I will say I think guys were ready for a little bit of a break considering how early we reported for camp and the camp we went through,” Bears tight end Cole Kmet said.
The Bears reported for training camp on July 19 because they were in the Hall of Fame game. They got through their first six games without major injuries, but they faced a few minor injuries to defensive backs in and just before their last game.
Coach Matt Eberflus mentioned on Monday that safety Jaquan Brisker is still in the NFL concussion protocol after a hit in the Oct. 6 win over Carolina.
He saw improvements in cornerback Tyrique Stevenson (calf), cornerback Kyler Gordon (hamstring), and cornerback Terell Smith (hip) but cannot confirm if any of them will be back for the game against the Commanders.
Even with their recent injuries, the Bears defense is ranked sixth in the league, fourth in points allowed, and third in takeaways.
However, they have mainly defeated struggling teams. All four of their wins have come against teams with a combined record of 7-20, while their two losses were to the Colts (4-3) and the Texans (5-2).
“I mean, I feel like we’ve played well, done some really good things in all facets of the game,” linebacker T.J. Edwards said. “But I think for us, we know that we can be a lot better.”
“It’s a group that’s not satisfied with anything that we do and that starts with (defensive coordinator Eric) Washington and those things.”
Eberflus mentioned that the biggest positive change for his team is simply Williams’ progress since their 1-2 start.
In the last four games, Williams has thrown nine touchdown passes, three interceptions, and gained 1,050 yards, with a passer rating of 106.4. He has connected with DJ Moore for three touchdowns, Cole Kmet for three, Keenan Allen for two, and Rome Odunze for one.
“You can really see the improvement through the course of the weeks,” Eberflus said. “And I always say that every unit faces its challenges every single week. It could be a pass rusher, a scheme, or certain players that can threaten your unit, whether offense, defense, or special teams. I think he’s learning that as we go.
“I think he’s learned how to handle distractions, work through those challenges, and also understand the basic skills of being a good quarterback. You can see that in how he has executed in the last few weeks.”
Williams and the offense will need to be even better as the Bears face tougher opponents.
“In the run game, there are still things we need to fix,” Kmet said. “In the passing game, there’s still a lot to improve. In our protection, there are still areas where we can get better.
If you look at the film, there are some significant mistakes that we need to correct. Once we play against these stronger teams in the NFL and start aiming for a playoff push as the season goes on, we have to tighten those things up.”
All six divisional games are scheduled in the last eight games, and every NFC North team is ahead of them with five wins.
“Yeah, I mean, it’s pretty wild, right?” Edwards said. “We know those teams pretty well. But the football being played right now is really good.
“Yesterday (Sunday) was probably the first time I got to just sit down and watch some football for a moment, and it’s at a high level right now. So we’re definitely excited for the tough stretch we have ahead.”
