Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams had arguably the worst game of his NFL career on Sunday night, throwing four interceptions in a 27-24 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
It was the first four-interception game of Williams’ career at any level, according to NFL Research, and nearly cost Chicago a game it had controlled early on.
However, despite his struggles, Williams made it clear after the game that he has no plans to change his aggressive playing style.
“I’m going to throw until I can’t throw anymore,” Williams said, according to NFL.com’s Kevin Patra. “That’s how I live. I work my tail off to be in this position. I’ll never not throw the ball.”
Williams even went as far as saying he could throw 100 interceptions in a game and would still take the same chances if the opportunity presented itself.
“I don’t get gun shy. That’s not me, that’s not my identity, that’s not who I am,” Williams added. “With that, I’m going to keep grippin’ it, keep rippin’ it, and Coach calls it, it’s time to go make a play.”
It’s certainly a bold statement from a quarterback coming off his worst turnover performance. But considering how Sunday’s game ended, it’s also pretty easy to understand where Williams is coming from.
Caleb Williams Overcomes Four Interceptions in Bears Win
The Chicago Bears couldn’t have asked for a much better start against Tampa Bay.
Williams led Chicago to touchdowns on its first two possessions, helping the Bears jump out to a 14-0 lead while making several impressive throws against the Buccaneers’ defense.
Then things started falling apart.
Williams threw interceptions on three of Chicago’s next four possessions, including an ill-advised throw toward Rome Odunze near the goal line that he later admitted was a greedy decision.
His next two interceptions came on failed attempts to throw the ball away, while the fourth occurred after Buccaneers cornerback Jacob Parrish tipped a pass into the hands of linebacker Alex Anzalone.
And things only got worse when rookie wide receiver Luther Burden III suffered a concussion on a helmet-to-helmet hit and fumbled late in the fourth quarter.
Tampa Bay recovered the ball deep in Chicago territory and eventually tied the game at 24 after scoring a touchdown and converting the two-point attempt.
Suddenly, the Bears needed Williams to deliver with the game on the line. And despite everything that had gone wrong, he did exactly that.
Williams connected with tight end Colston Loveland for a 38-yard gain on Chicago’s final possession, putting the Bears in position to kick the game-winning field goal.
Bears Have Reason to Be Concerned About Williams’ Turnovers
There’s a difference between playing aggressively and making unnecessary mistakes. And Sunday was a pretty clear example of both.
According to NFL.com, Caleb Williams completed seven of his first 10 passes against the Buccaneers’ blitz for 124 yards and two touchdowns.
However, over his next nine drives, he completed just four of 10 passes against the blitz for 22 yards and three interceptions.
Tampa Bay continued bringing pressure, and Williams struggled to adjust for much of the night.
“They sent the same blitz a couple of times, and they got through, and that’s what happens,” Williams said. “When a defense sends a similar blitz or sends a blitz over and over, that just means that they’re getting through.”
For Ben Johnson, the encouraging part is that Williams still managed to respond when Chicago desperately needed a scoring drive.
The concerning part is that the Chicago Bears probably shouldn’t have needed that drive in the first place.
Chicago’s defense did an excellent job keeping Tampa Bay from taking advantage of the early turnovers, but asking that unit to overcome five giveaways every week is unrealistic.
And with the NFC North race remaining competitive, the Bears can’t afford to make a habit of giving opponents extra possessions.
Bears’ Caleb Williams Sends Defiant Message After 4-INT Nightmare