Bears QB Caleb Williams steps up in the 2nd half and beats the Rams 24-18

Everything seems slower and more laborious for the Bears than for the rest of the NFL, and it was a trying time getting quarterback Caleb Williams and their offense going.

It took a while against the Rams on Sunday, too, but after an aimless, sluggish first half, they looked a lot more like they wanted to start the season. Williams fired darts downfield, D'Andre Swift broke through the defense and the Bears pulled away for a 24-18 win at Soldier Field.

Nothing means more to the Bears than Williams' progress, which will determine not only whether they achieve their short-term goal of making the playoffs, but also their larger goal of escaping eternal irrelevance. Although Williams still has a long way to go, he has taken a significant step with his sharpest all-around game yet.

He compiled a modest stat line of 17-for-23 passing, 157 yards, one touchdown and a passer rating of 106.6, making big plays when the Bears were desperately looking for them.

Swift led the Bears in rushing with 93 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries, and he also caught seven passes for 72 yards.

Here were the Bears' inactives:

WR/RB Velus Jones
FB Khari Blasingame
OL Bill Murray
EN Dominique Robinson
CB Terrell Smith
DT Zach Pickens

The Bears and Rams both started the game 1-2. The Bears won their opener against the Titans before dropping road games against the Texans and Colts.