Caleb Williams throws first career TD for Bears, Rome Odunze reels in catch

Caleb Williams threw his first career touchdown pass Sunday and it was to rookie wide receiver Rome Odunze.

Good luck figuring out who keeps that game ball though! The score cut the Bears’ deficit against the Colts to 14-9 midway through the 4th quarter.

The play can be seen below.

CALEB TO ROME

FIRST CAREER TDs pic.twitter.com/N1gYdMCSRJ

— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) September 22, 2024

At that point of the game, Williams was 26-of-42 passing for 294 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.

It’s certainly be an adjustment for the No. 1 overall pick out of USC. Williams faced plenty of pressure from a staunch Texans defensive front last week as the Bears’ offensive line continued its struggles. Texans QB CJ Stroud encouraged him to keep his head up and learn from the game – and he reassured the former USC star he has a bright future.

“Good job out there, bro,” Stroud said. “Hey, stop taking those hits. … Learn from those mistakes, and everything that you’ve got, bro, is in you already, bro. You’re gonna be a hell of a player in this league.”

Williams was sacked seven times during Sunday’s game. When he had enough time to throw, he completed 23 of 37 yards for 174 yards, but threw two interceptions. He also failed to find the end zone for the second straight game to start his career.

It’s been an up-and-down start to Williams’ career. He only threw for 92 yards in the season opener against the Tennessee Titans, but looked good against Houston when the pocket was clean. However, that was a rare occurrence as the Bears’ offensive line struggled against Will Anderson, Danielle Hunter and the Texans – allowing 36 pressures on the night.

Williams acknowledged the toll the hits had on him, but said he planned to go through the proper recovery techniques. He could face a better matchup next week against an Indianapolis Colts team that could be without DeForest Buckner, who’s dealing with an ankle sprain.

“A little bruised up,” Williams said, via Yahoo! Sports’ Charles Robinson. “You know, I took a couple hits today. I’m gonna get into the ice tub and do all the things I need to do to make sure that my body’s ready for tomorrow, practice on the other days and obviously next game.”