CHICAGO (AP) — Right before Chicago's bye week, it looked as if Caleb Williams had turned a corner. It looked as if everything was coming together for the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft.
These days, not so much. And that's a major issue for the Bears going into the most difficult part of their schedule.
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Chicago Bears head coach Matt Eberflus applaudes his team during the first half of an NFL football game against the New England Patriots on Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
New England Patriots safety Brenden Schooler, right, sacks Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams as linebacker Anfernee Jennings assists during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
New England Patriots linebacker Anfernee Jennings (33) sacks Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
New England Patriots linebacker Anfernee Jennings sacks Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams warms up before an NFL football game against the New England Patriots on Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams passes during the first half of an NFL football game against the New England Patriots on Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Playing behind a patchwork offensive line, Williams was sacked nine times and passed for just 120 yards during Sunday's 19-3 loss to the lowly New England Patriots. The Bears went 1 for 14 on third down and finished with just 142 yards in their third consecutive loss.
“We have to do a better job, starting with us, starting with myself, at situational ball, negative plays and things like that," Williams said. “When you're good at not having negative plays, when you're good at executing, when you're good at executing situational ball, you're a tough team to beat.”
Chicago (4-5) failed to score a touchdown in back-to-back games for the first time since December 2004. It has scored a total of 27 points during its slide.
When it comes to breaking out of the offensive funk, coach Matt Eberflus said everything is on the table — including having someone other than offensive coordinator Shane Waldron call the plays.
“We've got to take a good hard look at everything that we're doing,” Eberflus said.
Williams, who turns 23 on Nov. 18, dropped his first NFL matchup with each of the two quarterbacks that were taken right after him in the draft. The Bears lost 18-15 at Washington on Oct. 27 on Jayden Daniels' last-second Hail Mary, and Drake Maye directed New England to its third win of the season.
Chicago had won three in a row before its current slide. Williams completed 74% of his passes for 687 yards and seven touchdowns with one interception during the win streak. The promising stretch culminated with Williams throwing for four TDs in a 35-16 victory over Jacksonville.
The Bears had their open week after defeating the Jaguars in London on Oct. 13. Somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean, it looks as if Williams and company lost their way.
“We’ve got to as a collective offense do a better job of sustaining drives and those type of things will come if we’re more efficient on offense,” tight end Cole Kmet said.
Williams has completed 50.5% of his passes for 468 yards in the past three games. He has no TD passes and no interceptions during the losing streak, and he has been sacked 18 times.
“Caleb's strong. He's strong inside. He's strong outside. He's a strong individual,” Eberflus said. “And he's been through adversity. And he knows how to do this, he knows how to get through adversity by pulling together.”
The adversity for Chicago at the moment includes a rash of injuries with its offensive line. The Bears played without Braxton Jones (knee), Kiran Amegadjie (calf) and Darnell Wright (knee). Nate Davis was inactive after experiencing some back tightness, and Teven Jenkins left in the first half with an ankle injury.
Amid all those injuries on the offensive line, Chicago is heading into a brutal last part of its schedule. Jordan Love and Green Bay are in town next Sunday. The Bears also have two games left against Detroit and Minnesota, along with a trip to San Francisco and a home date against Seattle.
“I think us, as an offense, you know, we do have to find it right now here in this instance just because we’re going, we’re getting close to, and it starts this week, playing teams like Green Bay and Detroit and Vikings and all of that,” Williams said.
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
Chicago Bears head coach Matt Eberflus applaudes his team during the first half of an NFL football game against the New England Patriots on Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
New England Patriots safety Brenden Schooler, right, sacks Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams as linebacker Anfernee Jennings assists during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
New England Patriots linebacker Anfernee Jennings (33) sacks Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
New England Patriots linebacker Anfernee Jennings sacks Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams warms up before an NFL football game against the New England Patriots on Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams passes during the first half of an NFL football game against the New England Patriots on Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Klay Thompson exited the team bus then beamed as he strolled back into Chase Center on Tuesday night, greeted by some 400 cheering Warriors employees who lined up along his path to the Dallas locker room to show their love and appreciation for the former Golden State star.
Once the ball was tipped a couple of hours later, Thompson tried to pull off an impromptu shimmy, Stephen Curry-style, as the former Splash Brothers dueled in different uniforms.
The employees who greeted Thompson sported “Captain Klay” hats, the giveaway for all fans on a celebratory night remembering his 13 years with the franchise and four championships he helped win.
“That was really cool,” Thompson said. “I'm very grateful for the employees to give me that kind of love ... totally unexpected and definitely put a smile on my face. Something I'll never forget.”
Those white hats filled Chase Center, where video highlights of Thompson showed in a place where he's still beloved — and always will be. Curry jogged up to Thompson, now wearing No. 31 with teammate Kyrie Irving in No. 11, and offered a quick embrace in their first words of the day before Andrew Wiggins also hugged his old teammate.
“Thankfully we were all able to focus on the game and just hoop and compete,” Curry said. “It was an unreal night for sure all the way around.”
Thompson scored 22 points on 7-for-17 shooting with six 3-pointers but watched Curry shine in the closing moments of Golden State's 120-117 victory. Thompson high-fived a fan afterward and tossed his white headband into the seats, giving some lucky patron an unexpected souvenir.
Earlier, after a brief jump-rope routine outside the Mavericks' locker room, Thompson ran out the tunnel and onto the floor to thunderous applause from Warriors fans with phones up to capture the moment of Thompson's return.
“It was a cool moment to feel the energy from the fans,” Thompson said. “Especially all the chatter that I heard, it was all positive.”
Curry had considered addressing the crowd before tipoff but he and Thompson traded a couple of text messages and they decided to each focus on the game, though coach Steve Kerr knew it would be something when they had to defend each other.
Just 15 seconds into the game Curry fouled Thompson, who scored the initial two points of the contest on free throws. He missed his initial two field goal attempts before knocking down a 3-pointer with 1:26 remaining in the opening quarter.
“I'm so surprised they ran a post up for him on the first play,” Curry said. “I blacked out on that one, I wasn't going to let him score and I fouled him. It was a pretty special night.”
The Warriors invited all their employees to be part of the welcoming committee for Thompson, who joined Dallas in July on a three-year, $50 million contract. Thompson, 34, missed more than 2 1/2 years — the entire 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons — recovering from surgeries on his left knee and right Achilles tendon before making his comeback in January 2022.
“I think what he overcame is almost unprecedented,” Kerr said. “... The last couple of years after he came back he struggled reconciling all of that, losing those prime seasons. We all saw that, saw him struggle with it emotionally. We saw him fight to get his game back. He helped us win a championship, led the league in 3s two years ago, he did a lot of amazing things.
"We wished that this had gone forever, that Klay would have finished his career with us but circumstances always dictate these things. In the end I think he made the right choice. I think he needed a fresh start, I think he needed kind of a new set of surroundings and that was apparent last year. He was not happy and that was hard to see, because he deserves to be happy. At his core he's a very happy person.”
Thompson had tried to downplay the magnitude of being back in the Bay Area, considering it just another game in November.
“I hope you all didn't believe him,” said Curry, who watched the tribute video from the tunnel to have some space with all the emotions.
When the home crowd went crazy, jumped to their feet in a warm ovation and tipped those captain hats when he was introduced, Thompson became visibly emotional and clearly touched by the tribute. He waved and saluted in several directions.
“I couldn't imagine a better night all the way around,” Curry said.
Golden State held a “Salute Captain Klay” ceremony before tipoff to pay tribute to Thompson’s contributions to the franchise and his tradition of boating across the bay to games. He will be back again in February in the Mavs' second trip to Chase Center.
For Kerr, this moment felt far different from Thompson's triumphant return nearly three years ago from the injuries and daunting grind of rehab that the veteran guard considered some of the most difficult days of his life.
“That was a welcome back, we knew there were a lot of good times ahead. In fact there was a championship six months later,” Kerr said. “This one is obviously more of a goodbye, the first time we will have seen him. ... It'll feel very strange but it will be a different vibe, more of a thank you and a goodbye and everything that you've meant to us."
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba
Dallas Mavericks guard Klay Thompson, right, is defended by Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) during the first half of an Emirates NBA Cup basketball game in San Francisco, Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
Dallas Mavericks guard Klay Thompson, left, loses the ball while driving to the basket against Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) during the first half of an Emirates NBA Cup basketball game in San Francisco, Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
Dallas Mavericks guard Klay Thompson waves toward fans before an Emirates NBA Cup basketball game between the Golden State Warriors and the Mavericks in San Francisco, Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
Fans cheer as Dallas Mavericks guard Klay Thompson jogs onto the court to warm up before an Emirates NBA Cup basketball game against the Golden State Warriors in San Francisco, Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
Dallas Mavericks guard Klay Thompson warms up before an Emirates NBA Cup basketball game against the Golden State Warriors in San Francisco, Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, left, hugs Dallas Mavericks guard Klay Thompson, middle, as guard Kyrie Irving, right, walks on the court before an Emirates NBA Cup basketball game in San Francisco, Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
Dallas Mavericks guard Klay Thompson reacts toward fans before an Emirates NBA Cup basketball game between the Golden State Warriors and the Mavericks in San Francisco, Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr., right, shoots over Dallas Mavericks guard Klay Thompson in the second half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
FILE - Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) shoots against Utah Jazz forward's Darius Bazley (21) and Brice Sensabaugh (8) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in San Francisco, April 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn, File)
FILE - Golden State Warriors guards Klay Thompson, left, and Stephen Curry and forward Draymond Green, right, laugh while being interviewed, Nov. 30, 2023, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez, File)
Dallas Mavericks guard Klay Thompson, foreground left, is greeted by Golden State Warriors employees and media as he arrives before an Emirates NBA Cup basketball game between the Warriors and the Mavericks in San Francisco, Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
Dallas Mavericks guard Klay Thompson is greeted by Golden State Warriors employees and media as he arrives before an Emirates NBA Cup basketball game between the Warriors and the Mavericks in San Francisco, Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
