Caleb Williams Out Again as Bagent Leads 3-1 Bears to Green Bay
A Grade 2 hamstring strain will keep Caleb Williams out for a third straight game; Tyson Bagent starts again at Lambeau after two wins built on the run and the defence.
Caleb Williams will miss his third straight game on Sunday at Green Bay with the right hamstring strain he suffered in Week 2 against Minnesota, and Tyson Bagent starts again. The Bears are 3-1, having won both games without Williams, 27-7 over Philadelphia and 23-12 over the Jets, on the back of a heavy run game and a defence that has allowed 19 points in those two games combined.
The Injury and Timeline
Williams suffered a non-contact right hamstring injury in the fourth quarter of the Week 2 game against Minnesota on 20 September, per NBC Sports. The Bears lost that day 9-3, per ESPN. The diagnosis, per ESPN, was a Grade 2 hamstring strain with an estimated recovery window of three to four weeks. He has since missed the Eagles game in Week 3 and the Jets game in Week 4, and will sit out Sunday's trip to Lambeau for Week 5, his third consecutive game on the sideline, per CBS Sports. Per Yahoo Sports, Williams has not been placed on injured reserve.
Wins Without Williams: The Pattern
The Bears' back-to-back victories without their starting quarterback share a clear shape. In Week 3, backup Case Keenum directed Chicago to a 27-7 win over Philadelphia on Monday Night Football, per ESPN. Keenum completed 24 of 34 attempts for 247 yards and two touchdowns without an interception, and D'Andre Swift added 84 rushing yards. Jalen Hurts was held to 153 passing yards with an interception.
The formula was even sharper last Sunday in Week 4. Bagent and the Bears beat the New York Jets 23-12, per Yahoo Sports and FOX. Chicago totalled 492 yards of offence to the Jets' 157. The Bears rushed 54 times for 232 yards, with Kyle Monangai accounting for 146 of them, keeping the ball away from the Jets' offence. Rome Odunze led the receivers with 94 yards. The most telling statistic was time of possession: the Bears held the ball for 42 minutes and 45 seconds, the Jets for 17 minutes and 15 seconds. First downs told the same story, 34 for Chicago and seven for New York. The Jets went 0-for-7 on third down, and Geno Smith was sacked three times. The one blemish was in the red zone, where Chicago scored touchdowns on only two of seven trips. This is not a Bears team limping along; it has found a temporary identity built on the run and on a defence that keeps games short.
Bagent Steps In
Bagent has not been asked to win games on his own. Against the Jets, per Yahoo Sports and FOX, he completed 25 of 34 passes for 268 yards with one interception: solid if unspectacular, with a mistake the run game and defence absorbed.
Head coach Ben Johnson has made Bagent's role clear. On Monday, per ABC7 Chicago, Johnson told ESPN1000 radio that "Tyson will be the guy" for Week 5. But Johnson did not close the door on Williams. Per NBC Sports, he said on Monday: "He's not going to be there this week for us, but we think it's still a week-to-week deal for us." Johnson is expressing confidence in Bagent while leaving room for Williams' return.
| Week | Opponent | Result | Rushing | QB stats |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Philadelphia | W 27-7 | D'Andre Swift 84 yards | Keenum 24/34, 247 yards, 2 TD |
| 4 | New York Jets | W 23-12 | 232 yards on 54 carries | Bagent 25/34, 268 yards, 1 INT |
The Matchup: Bears at Packers
The Bears travel to Lambeau Field on Sunday, 11 October, for a noon CT kickoff, moved from the originally scheduled 3:25 p.m. CT slot, per Fox 11. Chicago enters at 3-1 and Green Bay at 2-2, per ESPN and NFL.com. A divisional game always carries an edge, and a Bears team that has shown it can win without its starting quarterback will fancy its chances. Bagent does not need to be Williams; he needs to protect the ball and let the run game work.
The Road Back
Williams' return window remains the three-to-four-week prognosis from his Week 2 diagnosis. If his recovery goes to plan, he could come into consideration for Week 6 against the Atlanta Falcons on 18 October, per NFL.com. Until then, the Bears' interim approach of running the ball, controlling the clock and trusting the defence is producing results. The question is whether it holds up on the road against a division rival, and whether Bagent can keep avoiding the costly mistake that derails a run-first offence.