Bears Week Three Takeaways
The Chicago Bears suffered a heartbreaking loss to the Colts this past Sunday 16-21. They had a chance to get back into the winning column as they faced off against a team that was 0-2 heading into the game. Some of the same problems the Bears have had in Weeks One and Two were still showing in this game including lack of a run game, questionable play-calling, and the offensive line. The Bears went scoreless in the first half, so they struggled to find an identity early on offensively. Caleb Williams did get things back on track in the second half, but still had three turnovers including two interceptions and a fumble, which caused the Colts to score 14 out of their 21 points. Defensively, the Bears made the day pretty stressful for Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson, forcing him to make poor decisions with the ball including throwing two interceptions.
Caleb Williams is Getting Better
Of all three weeks we’ve seen thus far of the Bears, Caleb Williams looked the most confident and comfortable we’ve seen him. Williams finished the day completing 33-for-52 passes for 363 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions. His 363 yards did set a new Bears record for most passing yards by a rookie quarterback. His yardage totals, completion percentage, and quarterback rating all improved from last week, and he finally got the deep ball working on passes to D.J. Moore and Rome Odunze, while also relying on Cole Kmet for gains as well. There is still a long season to go for the rookie, but seeing the improvement he had this week was very encouraging as he continues to develop.
Rome Odunze Looked Like a WR1 or 2
In only his third game with the Bears, the ninth overall pick Rome Odunze played out of his mind. Odunze caught six passes for 112 yards including a touchdown. With Keenan Allen out the past two games with a heel injury, Odunze has been the one to step up. Week Two wasn’t great for him, but he stepped up this past Sunday because Caleb Williams felt confident throwing him the ball. He and Williams have clearly been working together to build more chemistry, and it showed. He even caught Williams’ first touchdown pass of his career, so that’s just a start of many more to come. Odunze is the first Bears rookie wide receiver since Anthony Miller to have 100 receiving yards in a game. Bears fans were very encouraged to see Odunze perform at such a high level and they can’t wait for his future.
This Game was Totally Winnable
For most of this game, both teams didn't look like they wanted to win this game. The Bears struggled to move the ball and have a balanced attack, while the Colts looked more undisciplined and their quarterback made a lot of mistakes. Every time one team was gifted a chance to score, they squandered their opportunity. Chicago won the possession battle of the game, had more total yards, and fewer penalties. Some of the coaching decisions and play-calling did indeed keep the Bears out of reach. The Bears played down to their opponent and lost because of it, so that can’t happen.
Cole Kmet Showed Up to Play
It’s always a great feeling when your tight end is up to par with your receivers in terms of effectiveness. Cole Kmet was indeed effective this past Sunday posting 10 caught passes for 97 yards and a touchdown. Both Kmet and Odunze both led the team with 11 targets each. Kmet has been a staple in this team for a while now, but he hasn’t been utilized up to this point in offensive coordinator Shane Waldron’s offense. This past Sunday, he was very effective on third-down and was a viable option for Williams in the middle of the field. Cole Kmet is a better pass catcher than people give him credit for, so maybe this will open up Williams’ eyes a little more.
