There is no doubt that the road loss suffered by the Chicago Bears on a Hail Mary by the Washington Commanders was a gut punch for the organization. Now the biggest question becomes how will the Bears and Caleb Williams respond as the calendar turns to November.
Williams couldn’t hide his frustration on the sidelines after the Commanders pulled off the 52-yard completion with no time left on the clock to register an 18-15 decision on Sunday. However, with the Bears now sitting at 4-3 and in the bottom of what has become a rugged NFC North Division, there is no time to look back at what might have been in Washington.
The face of the franchise after being selected with the top overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, Williams now faces arguably the first true test of his leadership as the team’s quarterback. For Chicago to truly shake off the heartbreaker in Washington, Williams must say the right things in the locker room and at the podium to prepare the Bears for a gauntlet of a schedule ahead.
That begins on Sunday in Arizona against a Cardinals team that had its own last-second magic against the Miami Dolphins to post a 28-27 victory, its second consecutive week where a field goal in the game’s final two minutes gave Arizona the win. At 4-4, the game against the Cardinals will not only be a sign of how much Williams and the Bears have shaken off Sunday’s loss, but also a measuring stick against a team that is currently at the top of the NFC West.
A home game against New England follows that, then comes the true test of the schedule as the Bears embark on six division games against NFC North foes over their final eight contests in a stretch that will determine if Chicago is truly a postseason contender in 2024 or merely building for seasons to come.
That, however, is the future. For Williams, the time for leadership is now.
His stat line against the Commanders (10-for-24, 131 yards and no touchdowns) after consecutive outings where he combined for 43-of-58 passing for 530 yards and six touchdowns show there is still work to do to bring consistency on the field. However, perhaps more important this week are the words and actions from Williams inside Halas Hall.
Williams has been praised by his teammates in recent days for his leadership. Now is the time to show that those skills will impact the short-term direction of a team needing to right itself quickly.