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Bears at the bye: Evaluating Caleb Williams, D’Andre Swift, DJ Moore and Bears offense after six games

3 weeks agoScott Bair

Next Tuesday’s episode of Bears on the Marquee, we’re giving out early season grades to each unit and we want to hear from you, the fan. Fill out the survey below and listen to next week’s episode for our grades, as well as what fans like you have to say: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/KVCVMVN

The Bears won’t be playing football this week, the only such occurrence until the regular season’s end. They’ve arrived at the bye with a 4-2 record, with a series of victories against one-win teams.

The Bears can’t control who they play and when they play them, so it’s tough to fault Chicago for securing wins as they’ve become available.

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This opening stretch has ended on a three-game win streak, but it has not passed without issue. The offense struggled at the outset, bringing up “here we go again” vibes for a fan base previously scarred by false promises for better followed by underwhelming results.

So, when the run game fell flat, the line couldn’t protect and Caleb Williams worked through extensive responsibilities placed upon him, it felt like the same old thing following a loss to Indianapolis. The offense has cranked things up since then thanks to some adjustments made by the coaching staff, assertiveness from player leadership and trust in the development process.

Issues and questions remain as we look at where this offense stands roughly a third of the way through this season. Let’s take a closer look at what has gone right (and wrong) with each position group to this point:

100624 Caleb Williams

Quarterback

Starter: Caleb Williams

Reserve: Tyson Bagent

What’s right: Rookie quarterback Caleb Williams seems to have turned a corner in recent weeks, with his overall production skyrocketing due to a combination of good decisions, accuracy and timing with the offense overall.

Williams has found great rhythm with his receivers, working the ball down the field at the right times, while understanding when checkdowns and shorter passes can help sustain drives. The USC product has also been smart knowing when to run, using his mobility as an added element to the offense.

He has shown a willingness to learn, grow and adapt that instills confidence that the best is yet to come for the No. 1 overall pick. He also isn’t afraid to speak his mind, telling skill players and coaches what he needs to improve and perform well.

If Williams continues on this trajectory, the Bears are going to be pretty darn good.

What’s wrong: Not much these days. Williams had a slow-ish start over the first three games, which should’ve been expected for a rookie with so much on his plate pre-snap. Seeing him improve so quickly has been a surprise, but there are some flaws to be worked out. His deep passes haven’t been terribly effective, but the Bears have still taken chunk yardage from intermediate passes. Williams has the arm talent to hit on deep shots but they haven’t landed much yet. Once they do, it’ll be hard to find flaws in his game.

092924 Dandre Swift

Running back

Starter: D’Andre Swift

Key reserve: Roschon Johnson

What’s right: Swift is on a tear lately, with 100-plus yards from scrimmage and a touchdown in each of his last three games. That provides stark contrast to the start of his Bears tenure, when he struggled to get anything going and was frequently hit at or behind the line of scrimmage.

That’s happening far less, with the offense providing opportunities to get him the ball in space, either on outside runs or as a receiver. Swift can still run between the tackles and has done that better because the interior blocking has improved.

Waldron has also found a role for Roschon Johnson as a short-yardage back, with a willingness to go big at times with offensive lineman Doug Kramer Jr. in at fullback. The Bears seem to have found their rushing identity and how to best use the talent available. That’s a major step forward following three early games where the offense was getting cute and struggling to run the ball at all.

What’s wrong: Not a whole lot at the moment. Maintaining offensive balance is vital for this offense to function well, though there will be times where the rushing attack must be counted on to close out games and be productive when everyone knows they’re running. It also takes pressure off of Williams, and depite his recent run of success, every game won’t go well for the rookie quarterback. The ground attack must offer stability when that happens.

Keenan Allen Dj Moore

Receiver

Starters: DJ Moore, Keenan Allen, Rome Odunze

Key reserve: DeAndre Carter

What’s right: Each receiver has made a significant impact this season, albeit at different times. Moore remains the alpha of this group, with dynamic playmaking ability on deep and intermediate routes. There have been some hiccups with Moore and Williams getting on the same page, but those issues seem to be resolving themselves.

Keenan Allen came alive in Week 6, with two touchdowns produced with his quick separation and ability to make tough catches in traffic.

What’s wrong: Rome Odunze has made some big plays this season, but he hasn’t been as consistently productive in the early portions of his rookie year. Expectations are typically high for someone drafted in the top, though Williams’ presence mitigates that some, and Odunze hasn’t been that productive. Top picks normally don’t have a receiver room as deep as this one, so his target share isn’t up there. Odunze is a smooth route runner with a large catch radius, so it’s still fair to believe better is on the immediate horizon.

Cole Kmet 10 10

Tight end

Starter: Cole Kmet

Key reserves: Marcedes Lewis, Gerald Everett

What’s right: We’re seeing Cole Kmet develop into more than just a safety net for Williams. He’s a dynamic down-field threat capable of making big plays, especially with coverage focused on a talented receiver corps. He’s on pace for a career receiving year, while maintaining the quality presence as a blocker in the run game.

While other receiving options seem to be taking turns, Kmet has been as consistent as it comes after a slow start to the season where he wasn’t being used enough.

What’s wrong: The Bears aren’t getting tons of production from Gerald Everett at this point, though it isn’t required in the passing game due to Kmet’s play. Everett and Marcedes Lewis have been good in jumbo packages, and Lewis’ presence as a locker-room leader has been invaluable.

100624 Teven Jenkins 1

Offensive line

Starters: Braxton Jones, Teven Jenkins, Coleman Shelton, Matt Pryor, Darnell Wright

Key reserves: Bill Murray, Kiran Amegadjie

What’s right: The offensive line has found some rhythm after some personnel changes, with Matt Pryor stabilizing the right guard spot after Nates Davis’ early-season struggles. Coleman Shelton is also playing better at the center spot from a mental and physical perspective. Teven Jenkins has been banged up but remains the line’s best player, especially when blocking for the run. Even Darnell Wright seems to be trending in the right direction, providing a level of optimism that stability has been found up front.

What’s wrong: While we generally dismiss the idea that bad competition is the sole reason why the Bears look better, it’s possible that this line hasn’t been tested recently like it will in the future. The unit was dominated by Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter in Week 2, and there are some formidable pass rushers coming to face the Bears down the road. How they handle them will determine if Williams has enough time to operate and produce as he has in recent weeks.

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