The struggles of the 2024 Chicago Bears are well-documented by now, from coaching that bordered on malpractice to getting absolutely dominated in the trenches on both sides of the ball. And all too often, the repercussions of poor play or poor decisions fell on the shoulders (and helmet, and back, and legs) of the rookie quarterback, Caleb Williams. A team that neither made the right hire at head coach or offensive coordinator nor spent sufficient resources on the offensive line fielded one of the least disciplined and most easily dominated offenses in the NFL and wasted a year of Williams' development.
That last point, in fact, is what landed Caleb Williams on a dubious list. Kevin Patra, a senior writer for NFL Media, included Williams on his Friday the 13th listing of the NFL's unluckiest players. Regarding Williams, Patra wrote, "Williams' rookie struggles were notorious. Some of the issues were on the young passer. Others were on a woeful offensive line. According to Next Gen Stats, Williams was the victim of 57 unblocked pressures and 13 unblocked sacks in 2024 (both most in the NFL)."
Those are both shocking stats to see. Not that it's surprising to anyone who watched Bears football last year, but seeing it spelled out like that really brings home just how bad the O-line was in 2024. As Patra said, Williams isn't blameless. He often held the ball too long and took sacks when he should have thrown the ball away.
But what is he supposed to do when he faces 57 unblocked pressures? That's 57 times in 17 games that a passing play was blown up from the beginning, leaving Williams with almost no chance to successfully complete a pass.
Nearly 20% of Williams' league-leading 68 sacks came from unblocked defenders.
Frankly, it's a miracle and a testament to his sky-high potential that Williams played as well as he did in the face of such monumental disadvantages. Now, with a vastly improved offensive line in front of him and one of the NFL's brightest young offensive minds calling the plays, Williams is primed for a breakout season.
