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          Caleb Williams throws 4 TD passes as Bears roll vs. Jaguars

          • Courtney Cronin, ESPN Staff WriterOct 13, 2024, 03:51 PM
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              Courtney Cronin joined ESPN in 2017, originally covering the Minnesota Vikings before switching to the Chicago Bears in 2022. Courtney is a frequent panelist on Around the Horn and host of Best Week Ever on ESPN Radio. She also co-hosts The Chicago Bears Podcast on ESPN 1000. She previously worked at the San Jose Mercury News as a multimedia sports journalist.

          LONDON -- The Chicago Bears' offense was doing things Sunday that haven't been seen in a long time, or ever.

          Tight end Cole Kmet was forced into long-snapping duties because of an injury, and he also caught two touchdown passes. Rookie quarterback Caleb Williams threw four touchdown passes, the most for a Bears rookie since Cade McNown in 1999. Williams has nine passing touchdowns, already tied for the fourth most by a Bears rookie in a single season in franchise history.

          It started when Williams faked a pass to his left and then to his right on the Bears' third drive, he found Kmet open over the middle of the field for a 31-yard touchdown. The tight end broke two tackles around his ankles and scored to give the Bears their first lead of the game over the Jacksonville Jaguars. It was the second-longest touchdown of his career.

          It's what took place right after that likely put Kmet under much more stress.

          After long-snapper Scott Daly went down with a knee injury on the Bears' second punt, Kmet, Chicago's emergency long-snapper, began warming up on the sideline. He stayed on the field after his score and snapped for the extra point, which put the Bears up 7-3 with 11:17 to play in the second quarter.

          Williams led the Bears on a 10-play, 85-yard scoring drive before halftime. He picked up two first downs with his legs: a 23-yard scramble that got Chicago to midfield ahead of the two-minute warning, and a 19-yard run after escaping the pocket to get the Bears down to the goal line. The rookie once again found Kmet in the end zone for a touchdown to give the Bears a 14-3 lead.

          Bears coach Matt Eberflus said at halftime that Kmet practices long-snapping every Thursday.

          "I think he might be the first guy in history to have two touchdowns and two snaps," Eberflus said.

          Williams added a third TD pass in the third quarter when he found Keenan Allen for a 9-yard score. Williams became the first Bears rookie to throw three touchdowns since Cade McNown had four in one game and three in another in 1999.

          Allen caught Williams' fourth TD pass early in the fourth quarter as the Bears rolled.