Kevin O'Connell's message to Caleb Williams will get Bears fans excited under one condition

The Minnesota Vikings outlasted the Chicago Bears in a 30-27 overtime thriller in Week 12.

When Chicago drafted USC quarterback Caleb Williams with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, there were high hopes that the winds of fortune were shifting in The Windy City. Instead, Chicago has fallen out of postseason contention as the team has fallen apart.

After winning four of their six games to open the season, Chicago has now dropped five in a row. Three of those five losses came down to the final seconds — before the overtime loss, Chicago lost on a blocked field goal attempt in Week 11 and a successful Hail Mary in Week 8. Coaching, discipline and leadership ultimately made the difference in those games. 

Although the 2024 season will ultimately culminate in another disappointing campaign for Chicago, at least one coach sees reason for optimism in The Windy City.

Kevin O’Connell offered some coaching to Caleb Williams

After Chicago’s overtime loss, Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell offered some words of encouragement to Williams during a postgame exchange on the field.

"His message was just to keep going,” Williams told reporters after the game. “'Hell of a player, keep going, way to fight.' He said it sucks he has to go against me for a while. But, ‘hell of a player,’ [he’s] excited to see me out there fighting and leading these guys.”

O’Connell offered similar praise to Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson, who was benched prior to a Week 9 matchup against Minnesota. Richardson ultimately regained the starting role two weeks later. It remains to be seen if O’Connell will serve as a good luck charm for Williams as well. 

Williams set the franchise record for most passing yards by a rookie with 2,356 yards, surpassing former first-round picks Mitchell Trubisky (2,193) and Justin Fields (1,870). Both of those predecessors fizzled out in Chicago under similar circumstances.

Now, Williams is in danger of becoming the third consecutive first-round pick to see his career derailed by coaching turnover and schematic changes. Both Trubisky and Fields saw their head coaches get fired after their rookie season, and Williams appears poised to experience the same turmoil.

Bears head coach Matt Eberflus has felt his seat getting hot, and he attempted to cool it off by firing offensive coordinator Shane Waldron. So far, that hasn’t yielded any success.

Unfortunately for Williams, a coaching change may be the only viable solution. While the rookie quarterback certainly has his flaws, Eberflus hasn’t done him any favors.