Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams probably wasn’t happy with his own performance Sunday against the Tennessee Titans, but with his team winning the game and the quarterback entering the record books, things weren’t all bad down at the lake.
The Bears erased a 17-0 deficit and scored 24 unanswered points, boosted by an interception return for a touchdown and a blocked punt returned for another score as they beat the Titans 24-17 in their season opener at Soldier Field.
Williams completed 14 of 29 passes for 93 yards in the game, but he didn’t lose the ball, as Titans quarterback Will Levis threw two crucial interceptions in the final stages of the game.
Despite a rough start, Williams earned a spot in the NFL record books with his first career victory.
According to the Bears’ public relations department, Williams is now the fourth quarterback since the 1970 NFL-AFL merger to be selected first overall in the draft and win in the first week of his rookie season. The last to accomplish that feat was David Carr of the Houston Texans, winning their first game in 2002.
During the Bears game on Sunday afternoon, Jonathan Owens returned a blocked punt for a touchdown. After the game, Owens spoke about the game and the team coming away with a win in its first game.
Jim Plunkett was the first to accomplish the feat with the Raiders in 1971, and John Elway earned his first career start as a member of the Denver Broncos in 1983.
After the match, Williams was realistic about his performance and promised to improve in the coming weeks.
“It’s difficult to win in this championship. We are excited, but we still have a lot of things to improve, to progress and to prepare for this week,” he said.
The Bears will return to action on NBC’s Sunday Night Football on September 15, taking on CJ Stroud and the Houston Texans.
