Incredibly Rare Penalty Cost Bears a Touchdown in Week 5

The Chicago Bears’ offense was playing at its best on Sunday as the Carolina Panthers’ defense had no answers for rookie quarterback Caleb Williams and Co.

Williams and the Bears’ offense erupted for 33 points and 424 yards of total offense. The rookie quarterback put his stamp on the Week 5 win, completing 20-of-29 passes for 304 yards and two touchdowns.

Williams showed off his mobility in Sunday’s game, rushing for 34 yards. The rookie quarterback almost scored his first rushing touchdown in his NFL career in the third quarter. 

However, Williams had his rushing touchdown wiped off the board by a rare penalty. The Bears were called for a clipping penalty on offensive lineman Doug Kramer. 

According to Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic, the Bears haven’t been flagged for clipping since Week 4 of the 2023 season, per the NFL’s stats system. Fishbain adds that the clipping penalty was the first on a Bear in 21 years.

The Bears likely didn’t want to see a penalty in that spot, given how well the offense was rolling. However, the clipping penalty didn’t do much damage on that drive as kicker Cairo Santos made a 33-yard field goal, increasing the Bears lead by 23 points.

Overall, the Bears were penalized five times for 46 yards in Sunday’s win against the Panthers. Head coach Matt Eberflus will likely want to cut down on those penalties heading into Week 6, but he’s also probably happy with the performance of his young quarterback.

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