Grading Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears in their London rout of the Jaguars
Make that three wins in a row for the Chicago Bears. Thank Caleb Williams and the defense for that.
Here's how we graded the Chicago Bears in their 35-16 win Sunday over Jacksonville.
Caleb Williams
The Bears' rookie star took another step forward on Sunday.
Taking offense through different tempos, and using his legs on scramble plays and designed runs, Williams was making winning plays with his arm and legs.
The biggest area of growth came early, where Williams didn't balk at two three-and-out drives to open the game for the Bears' offense. He calmly came back and led multiple touchdown drives, starting with a 31-yard touchdown to Cole Kmet.
Throwing for four touchdowns, and maybe a fifth had he zipped a pass to DJ Moore instead of lofting a rainbow, Williams has put himself in prime position to earn NFC Rookie of the Week honors for the first time this season.
Caleb Williams' final stat line: 23 of 29 passing, 226 passing yards, four touchdowns, one interception and a 124.4 quarterback rating.
Grade: B+
The Bears' offensive line
It wasn't a great game. There were too many sacks, although some were there result of Williams holding on to the ball for too long.
But the Bears ran the ball effectively and protected Williams long enough for him to be effective.
The Bears had over 200 passing yards and over 150 rushing yards on the day. The line deserves some credit for those numbers, especially the likes of Matt Pryor and Coleman Shelton continuing their improvements.
Also, a specific nod goes to Teven Jenkins who recovered a D'Andre Swift fumble that could've shifted the tide in the fourth quarter.
Grade: B
LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 13: Caleb Williams of Chicago Bears reacts during the NFL match between Jacksonville Jaguars and Chicago Bears at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on October 13, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Harry Murphy/Getty Images)
Cole Kmet
The Bears' standout tight end had a multi-touchdown day, and showed why he's one of the most important pieces of this Bears' offense.
When Williams scrambled, he found Kmet. When the Bears needed a block, Kmet was there to spring a play.
However, Kmet earned his A+ with his stand-in play at long snapper.
Long snapper Scott Daly was injured in the first quarter, and was ruled out quickly. That doesn't bode well for Daly, considering it was designated as a knee injury.
Kmet valiantly filled in at long snapper, most likely making NFL history as one of the only players who has long snapped and caught multiple touchdowns in a game.
His snap on a 43-yard field goal attempt was a bit high which led to the attempt missing short, but you can't fault Kmet too much. That's not his position, and he was a big reason the Bears were ahead.
Grade: A+
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Takeaways from the Chicago Bears vs. Jacksonville Jaguars in London
Here are our takeaways from the Bears' rout of the Jaguars at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Josh Blackwell
The Bears' worst nightmare came true when Kyler Gordon left the game with a hamstring injury. That means Josh Blackwell would slide into the nickelback position.
The Bears were already without Jaquan Brisker, Terell Smith and Tyrique Stevenson on Sunday. This meant the Bears were extremely thin the rest of the way on Sunday.
Blackwell responded by making plays.
He intercepted Trevor Lawrence, which set up a Bears' touchdown.
If there was any game that would showcase the Bears' depth, Sunday was it. The secondary was tested against a talented receiving corps and a talented quarterback. The unit responded.
Blackwell was a reason why.
Grade: A+