The Chicago Bears and Indianapolis Colts played a sloppy game on Sunday. The Colts committed one fewer turnover than the Bears, and that helped second-year quarterback Anthony Richardson and Indianapolis earn their first victory of the season.
Caleb Williams had his best passing performance against the Colts. He went 33/52 for 363 yards and two touchdowns. His first career touchdown pass came in the fourth quarter on a red zone throw to rookie wide receiver Rome Odunze.
Williams committed three costly turnovers. He threw interceptions and lost one fumble. He has committed multiple turnovers in back-to-back weeks. On Sunday, Williams wasn’t helped by an offensive line that struggled in pass protection and a running game that finished with 63 yards (on 28 carries) against one of the league’s worst run defenses.
Chicago Bears studs
Rome Odunze
Odunze had a breakout day against the Colts. Odunze recorded six receptions for 112 yards and one touchdown. He was consistently beating his man in coverage and could have caught a few more of his 11 targets if Williams had been more accurate.
Montez Sweat
Sweat recorded his first sack of the season against the Colts. The sack should have resulted in a fumble recovery by defensive tackle Andrew Billings, but the officials ruled Richardson down by forward progress. Sweat finished the day with four tackles, one sack, and two tackles for loss.
Chicago Bears duds
Shane Waldron
Through his first three games as the Bears’ offensive coordinator, Waldron’s play design has been questionable, especially with a rookie quarterback. The Bears failed to convert a touchdown from first-and-goal from the Indianapolis four-yard line in the second quarter. ‘
Waldron appeared scared to let his rookie quarterback throw the ball. He called four straight running plays and the Bears were stopped on fourth down when D’Andre Swift ran backward for -12 yards.
Waldron’s run scheme had DeAndre Carter blocking defensive linemen. Williams’ strip sack came off tight end Cole Kmet whiffing on a block on rookie defensive end Laiatu Latu. (Kmet has now given up two sacks in back-to-back games.)
Matt Eberflus
Eberflus made several questionable decisions on Sunday. He cost the Bears a key timeout in the fourth quarter when his staff miscommunicated their intention to go for two after Williams’ first touchdown pass. The Bears had to burn a timeout to call a play, and the play was ultimately unsuccessful.
Later in the fourth, trailing 21-16 with 2:01 to go in the game, Eberflus chose to kickoff instead of going for an onside kick. Kicker Cairo Santos was unable to kick the ball out of the end zone.
The Colts flubbed the play by not returning a kick, but if they had, the clock would have run under two minutes, killing an extra opportunity for the clock to stop after the Colts’ first offensive play of the drive.
Regardless, Eberflus’ decision not to attempt an onside kick backfired, as his defense could not stop running back Jonathan Taylor from gaining 13 yards for a Colts’ game-winning first down.
Eberflus also made a bizarre decision to attempt a 56-yard field goal when Santos clearly didn’t have the leg.
Eberflus is now 1-2 on the season, and his seat should be getting warmer before the Bears play the Los Angeles Rams in Chicago next Sunday.
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