The Chicago Bears’ rookie signal-caller Caleb Williams struggled in his first official game as a pro. Still, he managed to lead his team to a 24-17 win over the Tennessee Titans and achieve a feat the NFL hasn’t seen in more than two decades.
With the win over the Titans, Williams became the first quarterback selected No. 1 to emerge victorious in his NFL debut since 2002. The last QB selected first overall to do this was David Carr with the Houston Texans.
It was a rough introduction to the NFL for Williams, who is considered one of the best QB prospects to enter the league in recent memory. The USC product finished the game by completing 14 out of 29 passes attempted while throwing for 93 yards and zero touchdowns. He also had one fumble.
“Obviously, it’s great to get this first win,” said Williams after the game. “We’re all excited. Went to the locker room, celebrated. I sat down, enjoyed the moment, just watching all the guys celebrate understanding that I need to be better, I will be better.”
Luckily for Williams, the Bears defense stepped up big to take down the Titans, turning around a 17-3 deficit at the half. Late in the third quarter, defensive end Daniel Hardy blocked Tennessee’s punt before safety Jonathan Owens recovered the ball and got it to the end zone for a touchdown to make it 17-10.
Kicker Cairo Santos made a 50-yarder and 48-yarder early in the fourth quarter before corner Tyrique Stevenson snagged the ball Titans’ signal-caller Will Levis was trying to throw away and returned it for a pick-six to complete the comeback.
