CalebWilliams

News: 3 hours agoWilliams completed 20 of 39 passes for 256 yards and three touchdowns in a 23-20 loss to Detroit on Thursday while running for 39 yards on four carries.

Spin: Williams provided acceptable fantasy production in a setting where things could have gone worse and nearly did. The first half was a fruitless struggle for Williams and the Bears offense, with all the familiar themes of poor pass-rush management and an inability to establish consistent rhythm. Williams kicked into an extra gear in the second half, though, scoring all three of his touchdowns and nearly leading the Bears to a game-tying field goal opportunity. Unfortunately for Williams, what happened from that point will go down among the most memorable NFL lore for in-game blunders. A first and 10 from the Detroit 25 with 0:46 left on the clock somehow resulted in the Bears running the clock out on themselves. The offense had one timeout left and 36 seconds on the clock but spent those seconds lining up to call an incomplete pass as time ran out. It's not Williams' fault as much as it is on Matt Eberflus, but it would still have been nice to see more situational awareness from Williams. They might have a different coach by then, but the Bears hit the road to face the 49ers in Week 14.

ESPN Fantasy Projection: The Bears selected Williams with the first pick in the 2024 NFL draft. He was stellar at USC, showcasing his natural playmaking ability both in and out of the pocket, finishing with a single-season school record with 4,919 yards passing. In Chicago, he joins an offense that was second in rushing yards and attempts while also finishing bottom six in passing yards, passing attempts and completions last season. Part of that rushing total came from the departed Justin Fields, and Shane Waldron is now calling plays, so this offense should be more balanced in 2024. Williams will have a strong supporting cast with DJ Moore, Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze leading the way, but he's best viewed as a mid-tier QB2 with upside in his rookie season.