“We have to be better in the first quarter,” Williams said, in a statement repeated at Halas Hall perhaps more times than any other this season. “That starts with me going out fast.

“That starts with, you know, going out fast. You know, we keep getting the ball early.

CAPITAL PUNISHMENT: BEARS LOSE COMMANDERS ON HAV MARY PASS

TYRIQUE STEVENSON APOLOGY FOR BEHAVIOR IN SAINT MARIA

“We have a great defense that helps us stay in it, but we have to be better and play complementary football.”

Williams drove in a pair of final touchdowns, including the go-ahead score in the final minute, before missing the Hail Mary. But he had his own share of mistakes earlier.

He was sacked well out of field goal range just before half-time and when he was, he first came out of the tackle, then went back and was out of range.

“I’ve got to get the ball out, get better at it,” Williams said.

If he had just thrown it, the Bears would have hit a 43-yard field goal, but it took a 15-yard loss.

He had another similar situation in the first half when he could have had a first down run with it and slipped short after weaving his way through the defense, huddling in the backfield.

“Yeah, after I did all the little tricks in the back and I got vertical, I actually thought I had the first down and I looked over it and I slid and turned as the guy was coming,” Williams said. “I should have taken the hit and fallen forward but I slipped, I kind of slid to the side, I thought I had it and I didn’t.”

Williams looked out of sorts in the passing game in the first half and even in the third quarter. He was 3 of 8 for 33 yards passing in the first half and eventually finished 10 of 24 for 131 yards. They certainly seemed to lack the drive and timing they had in the passing attack before they gave up, at least until the fourth quarter.

“We could have played better on offense throughout the game to put ourselves in a better position and we will,” Williams said.

The pressure of playing in his hometown against the No. 2 in the draft wasn’t a concern, he said, although something seemed to bother him early. Good thing he looked past him because Daniels threw it for another 195 yards. Daniels completed 21 of 38 for 326 yards and a TD or a 92.7 passer rating.

TYRIQUE STEVENSON APOLOGIZES FOR BEHAVIOR AT SALVA MARI GAME

“Yeah, I think we did a pretty good job of taking him out emotionally,” Williams said.

“Just another football game.”

Except for the ending with the passage of Ave Maria by Daniels.

“Obviously it’s a heartbreaking play,” Williams said.

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