Instant analysis: Breaking down Bears performance in Week 6 clash vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
LONDON — The Bears had an opportunity to head into their bye week well above .500. The start of the season was a soft spot in the schedule, with a string of beatable teams outside a Week 2 contest vs. Houston.
Stacking wins was essential, considering the gauntlet coming up later in the year. The Bears needed to build a bit of a cushion to increase their margin for error down the stretch.
That mission was accomplished.
The Bears head into their break with a 4-2 record after a 35-16 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Let’s break this win down our Week 6 instant analysis:
Bair’s break down
It sure seems like the Bears made the right choice coming to England for a full week’s prep leading up to Sunday’s game. They were energetic and largely in sync during this contest, where they jumped out to a three-score lead early in the second half and kept pouring it on.
That’s a good place to be when armed with a defense that hadn’t given up more than 21 points all season. Especially when quarterback Caleb Williams came out throwing strikes, save an underthrown first-half interception. He became the first Bears rookie quarterback since 1999 to throw for 3 touchdowns in a game and knocked that out early in the third quarter.
Then he added to it on a crucial drive following a Jaguars touchdown. He threw a perfect volley to Keenan Allen, who snatched ball out of the air on a fade route, for his 4th touchdown of the day. Then Josh Blackwell picked Trevor Lawrence and the Bears marched right down the field and scored again.
Chicago put forth a thorough, dominant performance for the third straight week, each of them secured by multiple-score margins. The level of competition will surely be mentioned when referencing those results,but the Bears did what they were supposed to do securing victories.
The Bears seem to have forged offensive and defensive identities during this stretch, which isn’t the only positive development.
Their young quarterback has grown by leaps and bounds. Williams looks comfortable with what he’s been asked to do, which has allowed his immense talent to shine.
Williams is the real deal, man. And, when he and the Bears are playing well at the same time, this team is tough to beat. — Scott Bair
Key stat
Caleb Williams had another superb outing over in London. Williams is the 1st Bears rookie to throw for 4 touchdowns in a game since Cade McNown in 1999.
It also marks the 10th time in franchise history since 2000 a Bears QB has thrown for more than 4+ touchdowns in a game. The last Bears QB to throw for more than 4+ touchdowns in a game was Justin Fields against the Washington Commanders in 2023.
Williams finished 23-of-29 for 226 yards, 1 interception and a 124.4 passer rating. He also added 56 rushing yards on 4 carries for an all-around impressive day.
Pivot point
With over 3 minutes to go in the 2nd quarter, the Bears held a 4-point lead over the Jaguars.
Williams and the Bears offense were able to maneuver down the field on a 10-play, 85-yard drive as Williams found Cole Kmet for his 2nd touchdown of the day, putting the Bears up 14-3 and never looking back in London.
What’s up next
The Bears will head into the bye week, with time to recover from their time across the Atlantic. They’re back on the road (again) after that, with consecutive away games against Washington and Arizona.