Sunday night was a reality check for the Chicago Bears.
In a 19-13 primetime loss to the Houston Texans, rookie quarterback Caleb Williams was under siege. He took seven sacks and 11 hits, failing to throw his first NFL touchdown and suffering his first two career interceptions.
The Bears hung around, even giving Williams a chance to lead a game-winning touchdown drive with 1:37 to play. But they also exposed their own Achilles Heel, aided and abetted by the Texans' ferocious pass rush.
Fortunately for the Bears' rookie quarterback, someone who knows about being a first-overall pick with a bad offensive line had Williams' back after the game.
Darren Carr, the brother of former Texans first-overall pick David Carr (and current New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr), took to X to lambast the Bears, saying "Chicago Bears should be fired for allowing this to be his offensive line."
Then, the eldest Carr chimed in, and he had harsher words for head coach Matt Eberflus and his staff.
"In this stadium as well, giving me flashbacks," David Carr said. "I’d also add, his protection schemes are being exposed as well. Bad combination. That’s on the coaching staff."
Carr, the first-ever draft pick of the Texans organization in the 2002 draft, took an NFL-record 76 sacks as a rookie. He then led the league in sacks taken again in both 2004 and 2005 and only had one more season as a starter before the Texans gave up on him.
Williams is off to a Carr-like start, having taken nine sacks through two games. On Sunday night, Texans defenders totaled 36 combined pressures on Williams' 37 dropbacks, according to Next Gen Stats.
It's obvious from watching the Bears' first two games that the rookie has unlimited potential. But to maximize his potential, Chicago simply has to put forth a better effort to protect him than it has so far.
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