Caleb Williams' response to Chicago Bears doubts and roasters sums up rookie quarterback

Caleb Williams was blasted after throwing a gruesome interception during the Chicago Bears' clash with the Jacksonville Jaguars in London, but his response was telling.

The No. 1 overall pick connected with Cole Kmet for a 31-yard touchdown pass early in the second quarter to put the Bears 7-3 on top at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and they were soon driving in Jags territory again when rookie wideout Rome Odunze found a pocket of space in the secondary over midfield.

But former USC star Williams followed it up with a huge mistake. Veteran receiver DJ Moore came open on a deep route, but Williams held the ball for too long before unloading, allowing safety Andre Cisco to home in on the ball ahead of Moore.

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To compound matters, Williams floated the pass with too much air, giving his receiver no chance as Cisco undercut the route an hauled the ball in with ease. A chorus of groans from the thousands of Bears fans making the trip to London and their British counterparts swept across the stadium, and the reaction was not kind online.

"DJ Moore couldn't have been anymore wide open there and Caleb Williams sails it to the defense," one person wrote. Another added: "Caleb Williams has been suspect all season," another added.

A third said: "Why did Caleb Williams just throw that lollipop? It was a TD easy to DJ Moore if it was on a rope."

To his credit, Williams responded strongly to the setback. He drove the Bears downfield, connecting with Moore Odunze and Keenan Allen to keep the chains moving. The 22-year-old then put his legs to good use with a pair of big scrambles, the second of which took Chicago down to the two-yard line inside the final minute of the first half.

And Williams put an exclamation point on the drive, connecting with Kmet on the subsequent play for his second touchdown of the game to give the Bears a 14-3 lead at the half.

A third touchdown pass followed soon after halftime, with the Bears forcing an Evan Engram fumble on the first play of the second half that gave them great field position. Williams drove into the red zone and hooked up with Allen to make it 21-3.

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Williams has made an up-and-down start to his NFL career, leading the Bears to a 3-2 record heading into Sunday's game. He ranked 29th out of starting quarterbacks through five games in passer rating, with 1,091 yards, five touchdowns and four interceptions to his name.

And he had been significantly outperformed by Jayden Daniels of the Washington Commanders – the man taken No. 2 overall in April – over the opening weeks of the season. But Williams has reached new heights so far in London, laying the foundations for a big win for the Bears.