ATLANTA — When Caleb Williams walked into Chicago Bears coach Ben Johnson’s office earlier this week, the quarterback kept it brief.
“I walked in his office, dapped him up and said let’s get this thing going this week,” Williams said. “I walked out after that.”
That was all Johnson needed to know his quarterback was ready. Well, besides the go-ahead from the medical staff, which did come after a week of full participation in practice. But from the mindset side of things, Williams was ready to roll.
It showed Sunday in a 31-23 victory over the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Williams completed his first 12 passes and finished 30-for-36 for 305 yards and a touchdown.
Sunday marked Williams’ return after missing three games with a right hamstring injury that he described earlier in the week as a “pretty serious” tear. Williams was last seen writhing on the Soldier Field grass after he took off on a fourth-quarter run in a Week 2 loss to the Minnesota Vikings.
If there were any remaining doubts about the health of his hamstring, Williams silenced them on the first possession Sunday.
After the Bears received the game’s opening kickoff, Williams completed six passes in leading the offense on a 10-play, 67-yard scoring drive that overcame 20 penalty yards.
“Just the leader, the commander, having him in the huddle is good, it’s good to feel,” tight end Colston Loveland said. “He’s got (an) elite-dog mindset and he’s doing anything to win.”
On a second-and-long in the red zone, Williams scrambled to his right with what looked like full trust in his legs and zipped a pass between two defenders for Loveland in the end zone. It was Loveland’s first touchdown of the season.
“Colston and I locked eyes and (I) just gave my guy a shot,” Williams said of the play.
Williams was fired up celebrating with teammates after the touchdown. The franchise quarterback had never missed a game in his NFL career before this stretch. He had never missed a start due to injury in college either.
“Obviously I was super juiced up trying to get back out here over the weeks,” Williams said. “Super juiced up to be back out here and I think it’s just completion, completion, completion. That’s the focus. That’s the mindset. I’ll be able to keep everybody cool, calm and collected, even myself. Then, other than that, give the guys a shot. Give them a good ball and then let them go make plays.”
He may have been calm in the huddle, but he let his emotions show after the first touchdown. And he didn’t have to wait long for another chance to make plays.
After a quick three-and-out from the Falcons offense, Williams again drove the Bears methodically downfield. On a third-and-17 on their end of the field, Williams connected with Rome Odunze for a 23-yard completion. Odunze extended his arms to make a tough catch.
“He was connecting everywhere and people were making plays all over the field,” Odunze said. “When the offense is really clicking, that’s when we want to be in that flow-state mode, and we were in that today for sure.”
D’Andre Swift ran for a 4-yard touchdown to cap a nine-play, 59-yard drive and put the Bears ahead 14-0. They went on to build a convincing 31-7 lead before the Falcons made a late rally. For three quarters, the Bears dominated in all phases of the game.
Johnson felt this was a big moment for his team, which improved to 4-2. The Bears played their worst game of the season a week ago in Green Bay.
“It was one of those crossroads, if you will, just because of what had happened the week before, and you’re hopeful that you’ve got the right people in place,” Johnson said. “I really do, I told them after last week that I believe strongly in our coaching staff, I believe strongly in our locker room and really everybody that we have in the building. So am I surprised? No. And yet you still need to see it happen.”
Williams connected with eight targets, all of whom had at least two catches. Luther Burden III led the way with eight receptions for 95 yards, while Loveland finished with six catches for 65 yards and a touchdown. Swift scored two rushing touchdowns and Roschon Johnson added another.
The Falcons pass rush rarely disrupted Williams. Per NFL Next Gen Stats, Williams was 24 for 24 for 248 yards when given a clean pocket.
Odunze said he noticed the hours upon hours that Williams spent in the training room over the last three weeks as he worked his way back.
“He carries a chip on his shoulder,” Odunze said. “That’s how he plays. He plays with that fire, he plays with that passion. So when he goes out there, he’s looking to prove people wrong and prove himself right. We feel that energy every single time.”
The Falcons made the game interesting in the fourth quarter. With a Thursday night matchup against the New England Patriots fast approaching, Ben Johnson pulled his defensive starters with a 31-7 lead in the fourth.
The Falcons scored quickly on the Bears backups and converted a two-point try. Then Roschon Johnson fumbled on the next Bears possession. Again, the Falcons scored a touchdown and added a two-point conversion to make it an eight-point game.
But the Bears held on thanks to some late heroics in the form of a Kyler Gordon strip-sack that all but ended the game.
“Things happen, and we’ve got to keep playing,” Ben Johnson said. “We know that’s the case, especially with an offense like (the Falcons’). Once again, we’re trying to thread the needle and do what’s best for us. Not just (that) we had to win this game first and foremost, which we did. But of course we want to think long term also.”
Williams will have to be careful with his hamstring in a short week. But the quarterback was feeling good Sunday.
“Body feels great,” Williams said. “Obviously I got hit a couple times. Felt great to get hit after just three weeks of rehabbing.”
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