The Carolina Panthers’ porous, injury-riddled defense provided the perfect opportunity for Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears to get in a rhythm.
It doesn’t always work that way, though. Especially for the Bears. But after an early three-and-out and a seven-point deficit, the offense took full advantage. It was the best game of the season for everyone involved — from Williams to the offensive line to wide receiver DJ Moore to offensive coordinator Shane Waldron.
The result was a 36-10 rout, a 126.2 passer rating for Williams and a lot of good vibes for a unit that was out of sorts the first three weeks of the season. Let’s take a look at the biggest pass plays with the All-22 camera angle from NFL Plus.
It took the Bears only three minutes to tie the game after the Panthers went up 7-0. With that quick drive, they ended their first-quarter touchdown drought and finally had an explosive touchdown, too.
It’s second-and-6. Here’s a (rudimentary) look at the routes the three receivers ran, with running back D’Andre Swift and tight end Cole Kmet staying in to protect.
The play fake to Swift may have drawn in the one Panthers safety, leaving man coverage on two receivers and a deep safety who stuck to Rome Odunze’s deep post.
Moore and Keenan Allen run a mesh concept, and as they pass each other, the Carolina corner in coverage on Moore makes contact with Allen ever so slightly, but it’s enough to help get Moore wide open — before the contact, Moore already had a couple of steps on his route.
As will be a theme throughout, the protection was sound. The key was Kmet, who eyed linebacker Trevin Wallace (No. 56)’s blitz. Kmet picked it up and got help from Swift. Williams shifted to his right, maybe feeling the blind-side pass rush and right tackle Darnell Wright put his guy into the ground.
Teams don’t need to run the ball to create play-action opportunities, but it doesn’t hurt. This play fake to Swift on second down attracted several Panthers. As Moore works his way across the formation, the Bears have a three-on-two advantage with three Carolina defenders trailing.
Williams did a nice job of waiting until Moore got clear of Panthers linebacker Charles Harris (No. 40) before making the throw and Moore did the rest to gain 23 yards.
Waldron drew up a really nice screen to Swift from midfield. Moore went in motion before the snap and Williams faked to him in the left flat before tossing it to Swift. The other Bears pass catchers brought their defenders downfield.
Carolina rushed five, and with five more in coverage, it meant one player was in the open field for either left guard Teven Jenkins or center Coleman Shelton to block. Jenkins got there and Swift was off to the races.
Cornerback Tyrique Stevenson’s pass defensed on third-and-3 allowed the Bears to get another crack at the Panthers defense before halftime. Facing a third-and-5 near midfield, Williams has three routes to choose from to his right. Allen runs an out route toward the sideline, Odunze runs a post and Kmet runs behind Odunze and down the sideline.
With the safety on that side helping on Odunze, there’s an opening to hit Kmet. The corner on him gets turned around, thinking the play is going to Allen in the flat.
“The corner, or nickel, bit on the route we had going to the flat,” Williams said after the game. “Saw it happen. Tried to juice it in there a little bit because it was a little bit longer throw, especially on that side. The wind, I guess, kind of drops in and just pushes the ball and Cole did a great job catching it.”
The protection gave Williams a clean pocket. The Panthers rushed only four and Wright notched another pancake. I also wanted to highlight Bill Murray, who did a really nice job stepping in midgame at left guard.
Two plays later, the play of the game — Williams’ “wow” throw to Moore for a 30-yard touchdown.
Before the snap, Williams made a check to the three receivers to his right. He kept his eyes on those wideouts, which kept Carolina’s linebacker and safety honest as Moore ran his route.
“The coverage pushed over when I made the check to the right side,” Williams said. “DJ did a good job keeping it skinny, getting on DB’s toes and then keeping it skinny. I saw the safety push over right before the snap when that happened and they adjusted to my check that I made and then saw it happen. The safety pushed over and then DJ obviously did a great job and made a great catch.”
It’s also notable where Moore is in the above screenshot. He’s at the 15-yard line as Williams lets go of the ball, an anticipatory throw to a spot in the end zone.
The behind-the-quarterback view is worth watching to see Williams look off the safety and then make the dime of a throw for the score.
We’re still waiting for the big Allen game, but I wanted to include his 19-yard catch from the third quarter because it’s a great example of how he gets open. A simple jab step to the outside before heading to the post created more than enough separation.
On the very next play, the Bears are able to stack chunk plays on first downs, a concept that would’ve been unheard of the first few weeks of the season.
Speaking of excellent route runners, Moore wins at the top of his route here, faking outside before he runs horizontally across the formation.
Williams began this play looking to his right before coming over to his left to hit Moore in stride, who added some YAC (yards after catch) to his total. The Panthers rushed only three and the offensive line had it under control.
Who doesn’t love a good tight end screen? Early in the fourth quarter, the Bears ran one to perfection. A play fake to running back Roschon Johnson draws in the linebackers, and Allen and Moore’s deep routes occupy the secondary.
Williams timed it up well, showed off his side-arm ability to get the ball around the Panthers’ defenders to Kmet, who had a convoy in front of him.
What should be encouraging to Eberflus, Waldron and Williams is there were even more opportunities. Odunze got open deep on a play. A missed connection with Kmet in the fourth quarter. A pass or two that Moore usually holds on to. The Bears could’ve added to the 304 passing yards and 36 points.
Knowing their defense won’t always hold opponents to 10 points — especially against a Jaguars team this week that just put up 37 — that confidence is important, and this offense still has potential.
First came the pass protection, then the run game, and against Carolina, the deep passing game. Next up is maintaining the efficiency and production in London.
(Top photo of DJ Moore: Quinn Harris / Getty Images)
