Why improved line alone won't decrease sacks taken by Bears' Caleb Williams

It makes sense that the Chicago Bears took steps to improve their offensive line after quarterback Caleb Williams took a league-high 68 sacks as a rookie this past season. 

For a piece published Friday, ESPN's Courtney Cronin shared that Williams will need to do a better job this fall of helping his protectors out to avoid being taken down numerous times each game. 

"There were moments where Williams did have ample time to throw the ball but wound up taking sacks or committing negative plays," Cronin explained. "According to NFL Next Gen Stats, Williams was sacked 28 times while holding onto the ball for at least five seconds, which was the most in the NFL."

To his credit, Williams accepted blame for taking "stupid sacks" that resulted in his offense "losing 10, 14 yards" at times in late December. Nevertheless, the Bears acquired guards Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson via trades before the club signed center Drew Dalman in free agency. Per a report, Dalman "took less money to play under" first-year head coach Ben Johnson and block for Williams. 

Thuney joined Chicago as a four-time Super Bowl champion and a two-time First-Team All-Pro selection who most recently played for the Kansas City Chiefs. 

"In Thuney's four seasons with the Chiefs," Cronin added, "[quarterback Patrick Mahomes] threw 393 passes while holding the ball for four-plus seconds, the only player in the league with at least 350 pass attempts of that length, according to ESPN Research. In that same span, 11 quarterbacks were sacked more often than Mahomes (117), and his pressure percentage (32) since 2021 ranks 16th in the league."

According to Pro Football Reference, Williams ended his rookie campaign ranked 34th in the NFL among qualified players with a 46.7 adjusted QBR and 25th with an 87.8 passer rating. The 23-year-old who made 17 starts was 17th in the league with 3,541 passing yards and tied for 15th with 20 touchdowns through the air. 

Needless to say, Chicago expected more from Williams when the club made him the first overall pick of the 2024 draft. Now that he has a dynamic offensive play-caller in Johnson along with a better offensive line, Williams should make a massive leap in his sophomore pro season.