Caleb Williams' Blunt Take on Bears' Late Collapse: 'Guys Lost Their Focus'
In a dramatic season opener on Monday Night Football, the Chicago Bears squandered a 17–6 lead against the Minnesota Vikings, ultimately falling 27–24. Despite a promising start, the Bears allowed 21 unanswered points in the fourth quarter, marking yet another instance of late-game struggles.
Caleb Williams' Assessment:
When asked about the team’s collapse, rookie quarterback Caleb Williams offered a straightforward explanation:
“Guys lost their focus.” — Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears Quarterback
But Williams didn't stop there. Reflecting on the team's overall performance, he continued:
“We had the game in our hands, and we let it slip away. But I’m not here to make excuses. We’ll fix it, and when we do, no one will be able to stop us. This team is ready to make history.” — Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears Quarterback
Williams’ candid response not only highlighted the team’s flaws but also served as a promise of redemption, igniting hope among Bears fans that better things are ahead.
Game Highlights:
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Early Dominance: The Bears controlled the game through three quarters, with Williams contributing both in the air and on the ground.
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Defensive Lapses: In the fourth quarter, the defense allowed multiple big plays, including a 27-yard touchdown pass, which shifted momentum in favor of the Vikings.
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Offensive Stall: The Bears' offense struggled to maintain drives in the final quarter, leading to missed opportunities and a lack of scoring.
Looking Forward:
As the Bears prepare for their next matchup, the focus will be on maintaining composure and executing plays effectively throughout the entire game. Williams and head coach Ben Johnson will need to address the team’s late-game performance to avoid similar outcomes in future contests.
With Williams leading the charge, the Bears are aiming to bounce back stronger than ever. Fans are hopeful that this fiery determination and a newfound sense of focus will turn their season around.
Packers’ Colby Wooden Fires Back at Critics After Dominant Run Defense Performance
Micah Parsons, a contrarian opinion had taken hold, too–the Packers defense would get chewed up in the running game.Three days before the Packers were to play the Detroit Lions in their 2025 opener, defensive lineman Colby Wooden got a phone call. It was his father. While much attention had been foisted on the Packers in recent days after the stunning trade for pass-rusher
The Packers had to trade away stalwart defensive lineman Kenny Clark to acquire Parsons, and the feeling was, that would be costly in the team’s efforts to handle the run. Detroit, after all, rushed for 2,488 yards last season, sixth in the NFL. Without Clark, surely the Packers would be in trouble.
Wooden, who is helping replace Clark in the middle, took the call from his dad, who said, “Do me a favor, shut ‘em up.”
And he, along with the entire Packers defensive front, did just that, holding the Lions to 46 yards on 22 carries, their lowest rushing output since Week 6 in 2023. Wooden, Devonte Wyatt and Karl Brooks held the line admirably in the middle all day for the Packers.
Colby Wooden: ‘I Took That Personal’
Wooden, for one, was insulted by the questions about the team’s inability to hold against the run.
“I for sure took that personal …” Wooden said. “So I just, did my job, went out there, stopped the run. I took it personal. Honestly, I felt like it was kinda disrespectful, like, ‘Oh, they gonna run the ball.’ So I made it my mission—we, excuse me—we made it our mission to shut them down.”
That’s not easy to do against the combo of Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery, nicknamed Sonic and Knuckles.
“We know what they want to do,” Wooden said. “Last year, they wanted to run. They call them Sonic and Knuckles, or whatever. They want to run them 30 times. So we know they want to run that ball. We’ve got to do our job to stop the run so they can get back and let (Parsons) go get them.”
Packers Filling Roles With Micah Parsons on Board
Wooden said the effect of having Parsons on the field was obvious, and it works both ways. When offenses focus on corralling Parsons, the other Packers must step up.
“Everybody’s got a job to do, everybody got a role,” Wooden said. “Everybody’s got to buy into their role. We know what attention and what he comes with. And we know we got to stop that run, go help him out, if he is getting is getting chipped, doubled or whatever, now it’s somebody else’s turn to win their one-on-one.”
Packers Have Commanders Next
And despite the obviously encouraging results, Wooden is not getting ahead of himself. The Commanders will be next on the docket, with fearsome young quarterback Jayden Daniels on hand.
“It’s just one week,” Wooden said. “It’s Week 1. It’s great to start off with a win, dominate. But we’ve got to keep it going. We got a good team coming here on Thursday, we know we got to be ready to stop that run and contain that quarterback. So we just gotta keep going, keep getting better, keep jelling.”
