Matt Eberflus Makes Baffling Caleb Williams Comment Ahead of Week 4

The Chicago Bears will look to return to the win column when they host the LA Rams at Soldier Field in Week 4. Even though the Rams have experienced their fair share of struggles, they shouldn't be taken easily and a strong performance from rookie quarterback Caleb Williams would certainly help improve the Bears' chances for victory.

Williams has shown flashes of potential during his first NFL campaign. While he hasn't been perfect, some of his early struggles can be attributed to Chicago's offensive line struggling to keep him protected.

On Wednesday, Bears head coach Matt Eberflus was asked about the pass protection issues surrounding Williams and his answer was baffling, to say the least.

Bears News: HC Matt Eberflus Says Pass Protection 'A Work in Progress'

"It's a work in progress," Eberflus said about Williams' protection, per ESPN's Courtney Cronin. "It's not totally all the way there after the three games, but it's getting better."

"I do think that last week was way improved in terms of the whole operation... We're working through that and we want to see some big improvement this week, too"

Those aren't exactly the words that Bears fans were hoping to hear. Chicago drafted Williams first overall in April with the expectation that he'd be the franchise quarterback for years to come. That's the type of player management and the coaching staff should be bending over backward to practice.

Instead, we're heading into the fourth week of the season and Eberflus says the offensive line is still "a work in progress." To put things into perspective, Pro Football Focus indicates that Williams is tied for having faced the ninth-most pressures (37) through the first three weeks of the campaign.

Williams just isn't ready to handle that level of pressure yet, proven by the fact that he's only 9-of-28 (32.1%) in the pocket with 76 passing yards, one touchdown, and three interceptions when facing pressure this season.

In other words, Eberflus should have had the protection situation figured out much earlier than Week 4. Even though it takes time for a team to build chemistry, it's inexcusable that Williams still doesn't have the proper protection that allows him to play to his full potential.

The Rams' pass rush isn't the same now that Aaron Donald is retired, however, they still have various threats — from Byron Young to Jared Verse — who know how to get at a quarterback. In other words, Eberflus better hope that his team's pass protection is up to snuff come Sunday.

Luckily for Eberflus, Chicago's immediate outlook is promising regardless of any pass protection issues. DraftKings Sportsbook is currently listing the Bears as the 3-point favorites over the Rams in Week 4.

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