Bears' Caleb Williams Struggles in Loss, Raising Concerns Amid Rookie Woes

After throwing two interceptions in the preseason against the Houston Texans, the Bears' Caleb Williams has yet to throw a touchdown pass and is on pace to break every rookie quarterback record for the team.

Craig Carton, Danny Parkins, and Mark Schlereth delve into the lackluster performance of Chicago Bears rookie quarterback Caleb Williams in the team's season-opening loss against the Texans.

Williams, who was hailed as the savior of the struggling franchise, threw for 175 yards with two interceptions and no touchdowns in the 24-17 defeat. The performance raised concerns about his ability to lead the team to success.

Bears' Caleb Williams Struggles in Loss, Raising Concerns Amid Rookie Woes

Williams, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, is now on a pace to break every rookie quarterback record for the Bears. He is on track to become the first Bears quarterback to fail to throw a touchdown pass in his first two career games since Rex Grossman in 2003.

Williams' struggles were compounded by a disappointing performance from the Bears' offense as a whole. The team managed only 305 total yards of offense and failed to score a touchdown until the fourth quarter.

Bears' Caleb Williams Struggles in Loss, Raising Concerns Amid Rookie Woes

The Bears' defense, which was expected to be a strength of the team, was also lackluster. The unit allowed the Texans to score touchdowns on their first two drives of the game and gave up 429 total yards of offense.

The Bears have a long way to go before they can be considered a contender in the NFC. Williams' performance in the preseason is a major concern, and the team's overall performance against the Texans did little to inspire confidence.

Bears' Caleb Williams Struggles in Loss, Raising Concerns Amid Rookie Woes

Meanwhile, the NFL is facing backlash over its new rule banning swivel hip-drop tackles. The rule was implemented in an effort to reduce injuries, but it appears that players are having difficulty adjusting to the new regulations.

Houston Texans running back Joe Mixon was injured on what he believed was an illegal swivel hip-drop tackle by Bears linebacker T.J. Edwards. Mixon left the game with an ankle injury and later expressed his frustration on social media.

The NFLPA had expressed concerns about the new rule, arguing that it could cause confusion for players, coaches, officials, and fans. The incident involving Mixon may be evidence that the union's fears were justified.

NFL officials have acknowledged the challenge of calling the foul in real time, but they insist that they will continue to enforce the rule. It remains to be seen whether the league will be able to successfully implement the new rule and reduce the number of injuries.