Mike Williams’ time with the New York Jets was over faster than a Kardashian marriage, leading to his departure at the trade deadline. The Pittsburgh Steelers welcomed the receiver with open arms and the early returns on this partnership are promising.

In his debut, Williams only managed to snag a catch on his only target for 32 yards. As the saying goes, however, ‘every little bit helps.’

That’s exactly what Williams was able to do with that one catch, which ended with him in the end zone and the Steelers taking the lead on the scoreboard. Thanks to the newcomer, Pittsburgh escaped Washington with another win, moving to 7-2 on the season and in possession of first place in the AFC North.

In the aftermath of the Week 10 victory, Williams took the chance to poke some fun at his former quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, on social media.

NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.

Mike Williams Instagram post

Williams only played nine snaps in his Steelers debut, according to PFF. He made the most of them, scoring the game-winning touchdown on his only catch. On Monday, Williams took the chance to throw some shade at Rodgers on Instagram after the quarterback seemingly threw him under the bus for running the wrong route in Week 6.

“Thankful  #WholeLotta #WeBack #RedLine,” Williams captioned the Instagram post, following his Week 10 triumph.

It was clear early on that Williams and Rodgers weren’t on the same page. New York was insistent on easing the receiver back into game action following a torn ACL, which kept him from developing any chemistry with the quarterback. He was forced to take a back seat to Garrett Wilson and Allen Lazard while the Jets attempted to figure out an identity, something they still haven’t been able to do through 10 weeks.

However, Williams’ problem with Rodgers began to go beyond chemistry. He was the subject of criticism from the quarterback, who essentially blamed the receiver for a game-ending interception against the Bills.

“There’s two verticals, Allen [Lazard]’s down the seam, and Mike’s [Williams] down the red line,” Rodgers said after the game. “So, I’m throwing a no-look to the red line. When I peak my eyes back there Mike’s running an ‘in-breaker,’ so it’s got to be down the red line.”

The team then swung a deal for Davante Adams, making Williams the clear odd man out. He was eventually shipped to Pittsburgh on trade deadline day for a 2025 fifth round pick.

What is the ‘red line’ in the NFL?

The ‘red line’ is a tool used by NFL teams in practice to help teach receivers how to run a vertical route. Often times, players can find themselves drifting toward the sideline or the middle of the field. The end result is a difficult throw for the quarterback or a cluttered middle of the field. The purpose is to keep those players on track, which was Rodgers’ primary complaint about Williams on the interception.

All the NFL news on and off the field. Sign up for USA TODAY’s 4th and Monday newsletter.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Gerry Faust, Notre Dame football coach for five seasons in the early 1980s, died Monday. He was 89.

“It is with tremendous sorrow that we announce the passing of Gerry Faust,” his family said in a statement, “loving husband, father, grandfather and coach who dedicated his life to his family, his faith and the teams and players he coached.”

Bracketed by national championship coaches in Dan Devine and Lou Holtz, the Faust era at Notre Dame (1981-85) was marked by disappointment and a steep learning curve. Hired at age 45 after a highly successful run at Cincinnati’s Archbishop Moeller High School, Faust went 30-26-1 (.535) during his Irish tenure.

His first and final teams went 5-6, the first losing seasons for Notre Dame since 1963, but in between the Irish managed winning records and a pair of lesser bowl trips. They scored a 19-18 upset of 13th-ranked Boston College and future Heisman Trophy winner Doug Flutie in the 1983 Liberty Bowl but lost the following year to 10th-ranked Southern Methodist (27-20) in the Aloha Bowl.

Notre Dame entered all five of Faust’s seasons in the preseason Associated Press rankings, including three Top 10 designations, but ended each year outside the rankings.

Faust and Bob Davie (1999 and 2001) are the only Notre Dame football coaches to preside over multiple losing seasons.

“What I say about Coach Faust is you won’t find a guy who loved a school more, wanted to win more,” former running back Allen Pinkett told the South Bend Tribune in June of 2023. “He just didn’t know how to do it, and it was kind of unfair to him to bring him straight from high school. The thing was, we had so much talent, but I think my best year we won seven games. It was so unfortunate.”

Pinkett, who played for Faust from 1982-85, ranks second in program history with 4,131 career rushing yards and first in rushing touchdowns with 49. His 889 rushing attempts also rank first in Irish career annals.

‘A really tough job, no matter what’

Larry Williams, twice named a second-team All-America offensive lineman (1983-84) during Faust’s Notre Dame tenure, recalled Faust’s energetic coaching style.

“Gerry was always a very upbeat person,” Williams, now the athletic director at the University of San Francisco, told the South Bend Tribune in June 2023. “Gerry was definitely more comfortable his second year, and his offensive schemes started to take hold. And he had a lot of talent. The real challenge was trying to figure out where to put that talent efficiently.”

Notre Dame went 20-14-1 in the middle three seasons of Faust’s tenure, including back-to-back 7-5 seasons to close out Williams’ career.

“I think he got a better grip of it,” Williams said. “He was new to college football and now the head guy. It took a little while to get that sense of what the right fits were in what positions.”

At Moeller, where Faust went 178-23-2 in two-plus decades, his teams won five Ohio state championships in his final six seasons. Four times the Crusaders were deemed mythical national champions.

Former Moeller stars Bob Crable, Tony Hunter and Tim Koegel were already at Notre Dame when Faust arrived.

Ultimately, the jump from the high school level to big-time college football was too great to overcome. Sometimes remembered as being too nice, Faust “did have challenges in that regard,” Williams said.

“It’s a really tough job, no matter what,” Williams said. “I do think you have to be positive to make sure that the young men on the team feel valued, but at the same time you’ve got to have that trust where you can coach them hard.”

Faust debuted with a 27-9 win over LSU on Sept. 12, 1981, and the Irish climbed to No. 1 in the country the following week. Consecutive losses at Michigan and Purdue knocked Notre Dame from the rankings for the rest of the season.

In his finale, after announcing his resignation at the end of the season, Faust’s Irish suffered a 58-7 loss at No. 4 Miami. That ended a string of three straight losses to close out the 1985 season, including at No. 1 Penn State and at home to No. 17 LSU.

‘I don’t regret any of the years at Notre Dame,’ Faust told The New York Times the week of his resignation. ‘If I knew what the results would be there after that five-year period, the tough times and the good times, I’d do it again.’

Faust went on to coach nine seasons at Akron (1986-94), but the Zips went 43-53-3 (.426) with just two winning seasons after making the jump to Division I-A. Faust, who played quarterback at the University of Dayton from 1955-57, ranks third on Akron’s all-time win list.

Faust died on the same day as former USC football coach John Robinson, also 89. Faust went 0-2 against Robinson’s USC teams, losing one-score games in 1981 (14-7) and 1982 (17-13).

“Throughout an extraordinary life driven by an unwavering and deep devotion to his Catholic faith, he was a beloved mentor to countless young men both on and off the playing field,” his family’s statement continued. “His work ethic, optimism, leadership and humility were legendary. He leaves behind a legacy of perseverance, compassion, and inspiration, reminding us all of the extraordinary impact one life can have.

“While most knew him as a coach, we will long remember him as a wonderful father and grandfather who inspired us through example to live our best lives.”

Mike Berardino covers Notre Dame football for the South Bend Tribune and NDInsider.com. Follow him on social media @MikeBerardino.

The NBA Cup is back.

For the second time, the league’s annual in-season tournament will give teams the chance to compete for a trophy well before the NBA Finals in June. Teams will play on alternate courts over a little more than a month, for the championship — and the $500,000 per player bonus that comes with it.

But before the tournament progresses into the later rounds, the group stage will determine the eight teams that advance to the knockout rounds. The 30 NBA teams are sorted into six different groups of five teams — three groups per conference.

Each group winner advances to the knockout round and each conference will have one wild card spot, awarded to the team with the best record in group play that finished second in its group.

Here’s a ranking of the top NBA Cup group stage games:

Ranking the best NBA Cup group stage games

Tuesday, Nov. 12

Times ET

Dallas Mavericks at Golden State Warriors, 10 p.m.; TNT

The Warriors have raced out to an 8-2 record on the back of their perimeter defense, which should be a fascinating matchup against Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving. As if that weren’t enough, this will also mark the return of Klay Thompson, playing his first game against the Warriors since joining Dallas.

New York Knicks at Philadelphia 76ers, 7:30 p.m.; TNT

The records might not indicate it, but these two should still contend in the Eastern Conference, and it looks as though it will mark the season debut for 2022-23 MVP Joel Embiid.

Friday, Nov. 15

Phoenix Suns at Oklahoma City Thunder, 8 p.m.

As of Monday afternoon, both teams are sitting at 8-2, tied for best in the Western Conference, and both have looked like legitimate contenders. The only downside here is the hip fracture Chet Holmgren suffered Sunday night.

Los Angeles Lakers at San Antonio Spurs, 7:30 p.m.; ESPN

If anything, buckle up for what should be a thrilling showdown between Anthony Davis and Victor Wembanyama.

Miami Heat at Indiana Pacers, 7 p.m.

Miami has tweaked its rotation and thrives on gumming down opposing offenses, while the Pacers look to sprint out in transition. A study of contrasts, these two should remain competitive in the East, though Jimmy Butler (ankle) may miss extended time.

Los Angeles Clippers at Houston Rockets, 8 p.m.

The Rockets are athletic and jump out of the gym. Both teams are in that middle tier in the Western Conference, though L.A. was on a four-game winning streak as of Monday, even with Kawhi Leonard out indefinitely.

Memphis Grizzlies at Golden State Warriors, 10 p.m.; ESPN

Almost certainly not having Ja Morant (hamstring) in this matchup will dull the game considerably, though Memphis has played well and is used to Morant’s absences.

Tuesday, Nov. 19

Cleveland Cavaliers at Boston Celtics, 7 p.m.; TNT

This is a showdown between the two best teams in the East, at least through the first month of the season. As of Monday, the Cavaliers have the NBA’s top-rated offense (122) and the Celtics own the league’s third-rated offense (119.4).

Oklahoma City Thunder at San Antonio Spurs, 9:30 p.m.; TNT

This one loses most of its shine because of the Holmgren injury, especially since Wembanyama and Holmgren are considered to be two young, unique bigs in the NBA.

Denver Nuggets at Memphis Grizzlies, 8 p.m.

If Morant is still out, the matchup suffers, but — at the very least — this offers fans another chance to enjoy the historic run Nikola Jokić is on.

Friday, Nov. 22

Dallas Mavericks at Denver Nuggets, 10 p.m.; ESPN

Any time close friends Jokić and Dončić share the court, special things tend to happen. These two teams also figure to contend deep into the season.

Indiana Pacers at Milwaukee Bucks, 7:30 p.m.; ESPN

Reason figures that the Bucks will have worked through their early-season issues by this point, and this provides a rematch of last year’s first-round playoff series, though the Bucks — this time — are healthy.

Sacramento Kings at Los Angeles Clippers, 10:30 p.m.

The Kings have had a decent start to the season as DeMar DeRozan continues to affirm the Sacramento front office’s decision to bring him on.

Tuesday, Nov. 26

Los Angeles Lakers at Phoenix Suns, 10 p.m.; TNT

This will mark the third time these two teams face off, after they split the first meetings.

Milwaukee Bucks at Miami Heat, 7:30 p.m.; TNT

These sides have met twice in the last four playoffs, and after the Damian Lillard saga ended with Milwaukee making the trade, there’s a little extra motivation on both sides.

Houston Rockets at Minnesota Timberwolves, 8 p.m.

The Timberwolves are caught in that logjam in the middle of the Western Conference, as Anthony Edwards continues to expand his game.

Friday, Nov. 29

Oklahoma City Thunder at Los Angeles Lakers, 10 p.m.; ESPN

It’s always fun to see the young Thunder respond to being on a big stage — and it doesn’t get much better than a nationally televised matchup at the Lakers.

Tuesday, Dec. 3

Golden State Warriors at Denver Nuggets, 10 p.m.; TNT

The Nuggets have settled into the season and are playing tremendous basketball; Golden State is getting contributions from different players. These are two teams that share the ball and play very well off each other.

San Antonio Spurs at Phoenix Suns, 9 p.m.

Wembanyama gets another interesting matchup, this one against the physical Jusuf Nurkić. It’s also another return for Chris Paul, who played three seasons for Phoenix.

2024 Emirates Cup Groups

Western Conference:

Group A: Minnesota Timberwolves, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Clippers, Portland Trail Blazers, Sacramento Kings
Group B: Oklahoma City Thunder, Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Lakers, Utah Jazz, San Antonio Spurs
Group C: Golden State Warriors, Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets, New Orleans Pelicans, Memphis Grizzlies

Eastern Conference

Group A: New York Knicks, Orlando Magic, Philadelphia 76ers, Brooklyn Nets, Charlotte Hornets
Group B: Milwaukee Bucks, Miami Heat, Indiana Pacers, Toronto Raptors, Detroit Pistons
Group C: Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, Chicago Bulls, Atlanta Hawks, Washington Wizards

Now that we’re more than two-thirds of the way through the 2024 fantasy football regular season, there are only two ways to improve your rosters — waiver wire and trades.

Evaluating a fantasy trade can be a daunting task. Most managers value their players more than their actual worth. That’s where the Week 11 fantasy football trade value charts come in. You can also check out my Week 11 fantasy rankings to help with lineup and waiver decisions this week.

The charts can be used as your very own fantasy football trade analyzer in standard, half-PPR (point per reception), and full PPR leagues. Someone sends you an offer? Simply pull out a calculator (on your phone, you don’t need an actual calculator) and plug in the values for each player. Don’t worry, six-points-per-passing-touchdown and superflex leagues are covered as well.

Important note: If you’re offered an uneven trade (i.e., a 2-for-1 or 3-for-1), include the values for the players you’d be moving to the bench or dropping within your calculation. For example: If someone offers you Tyrone Tracy Jr., Isiah Pacheco, and Ricky Pearsall (combined value of 83) for Christian McCaffrey (69), it might look like you’re getting the better end of it. However, if you’re bumping down, say, Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Austin Ekeler (combined value of 26) in the process, it’s a net negative deal for you.

Another note: The ‘1 QB’ values are for standard scoring leagues. Quarterback value diminishes in PPR formats, so deduct roughly 4% of their values in half-PPR and another 4% for full PPR (this number drops as the season goes on and people look to consolidate). For example: Jalen Hurts’ value in standard formats is 39. In half-PPR, his value would be 37 (deducted 4%), and in full PPR, his value would be 36 (deducted 8%).

NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.

The rankings are based on how players should be valued in 12-team leagues. Players are sorted in order of their half-PPR values.

(NOTE: App users might need to switch to a browser if the charts aren’t showing up.)

Quarterback trade value chart

(Note: ‘6/TD’ is for leagues that award six points for passing touchdowns and ‘SFLEX’ stands for superflex.)

Rank
Player
1 QB
6/TD
SFLEX

1
Jalen Hurts
39
45
72

2
Lamar Jackson
38
44
71

3
Josh Allen
28
33
68

4
Kyler Murray
23
26
61

5
Jayden Daniels
21
24
59

6
Joe Burrow
20
26
58

7
Baker Mayfield
16
22
54

7
Jordan Love
16
22
54

9
Brock Purdy
11
16
46

10
Justin Herbert
10
15
46

11
Geno Smith
10
15
45

11
Patrick Mahomes
10
16
45

13
Jared Goff
9
15
42

14
Bo Nix
8
11
40

15
Sam Darnold
6
13
40

15
Russell Wilson
6
11
39

17
C.J. Stroud
4
9
36

18
Kirk Cousins
4
10
36

19
Tua Tagovailoa
3
7
36

19
Drake Maye
3
6
35

21
Aaron Rodgers
2
7
31

21
Matthew Stafford
2
7
31

21
Jameis Winston
2
5
29

21
Derek Carr
2
4
28

25
Daniel Jones
1
1
27

25
Caleb Williams
1
3
30

25
Trevor Lawrence
1
2
26

Running back trade value chart

Rank
Player
STD
Half
Full

1
Christian McCaffrey
68
69
71

2
Bijan Robinson
68
69
70

3
Saquon Barkley
66
66
66

4
Derrick Henry
61
61
60

5
Joe Mixon
59
60
61

6
Kyren Williams
56
57
58

7
De’Von Achane
53
56
59

8
Alvin Kamara
50
54
57

9
Breece Hall
49
51
53

9
Jahmyr Gibbs
49
51
53

9
Josh Jacobs
50
51
52

12
Kenneth Walker
48
49
51

13
Jonathan Taylor
47
47
48

14
James Conner
42
42
43

15
Chase Brown
38
40
43

16
David Montgomery
41
39
38

16
Chuba Hubbard
38
39
40

18
James Cook
37
38
40

19
Aaron Jones
36
38
40

20
Tyrone Tracy
36
36
37

21
J.K. Dobbins
36
36
37

22
D’Andre Swift
33
34
35

23
Najee Harris
34
33
33

24
Bucky Irving
31
32
34

25
Rhamondre Stevenson
31
31
32

26
Rachaad White
26
30
33

27
Tony Pollard
28
29
30

28
Rico Dowdle
25
27
30

29
Isiah Pacheco
25
25
25

30
Brian Robinson
25
23
20

31
Kareem Hunt
20
20
21

32
Nick Chubb
21
18
16

32
Alexander Mattison
17
18
19

34
Austin Ekeler
14
17
20

35
Jordan Mason
14
14
13

36
Tank Bigsby
14
13
12

36
Travis Etienne
11
13
16

36
Jonathon Brooks
13
13
13

36
Trey Benson
12
13
14

40
Raheem Mostert
12
11
11

40
Zach Charbonnet
10
11
12

42
Javonte Williams
9
10
12

42
Tyler Allgeier
10
10
10

42
Jaylen Warren
7
10
13

42
Ray Davis
10
10
10

46
Devin Singletary
9
9
9

46
Blake Corum
9
9
9

46
Braelon Allen
9
9
9

46
Jaylen Wright
9
9
9

50
Gus Edwards
10
8
7

50
Tyjae Spears
6
8
11

52
Audric Estime
7
7
6

53
Roschon Johnson
6
6
6

54
Khalil Herbert
5
5
5

54
Jerome Ford
4
5
6

56
Dameon Pierce
4
4
4

57
Justice Hill
1
3
5

57
Keaton Mitchell
3
3
3

57
Cam Akers
3
3
3

60
Isaac Guerendo
2
2
2

Wide receiver trade value chart

Rank
Player
STD
Half
Full

1
Ja’Marr Chase
64
64
65

2
Amon-Ra St. Brown
60
61
62

2
Nico Collins
60
61
62

4
Justin Jefferson
59
60
61

4
A.J. Brown
60
60
60

6
Puka Nacua
49
51
53

7
Cooper Kupp
48
50
53

7
Drake London
49
50
51

9
DK Metcalf
49
49
50

10
Garrett Wilson
46
47
47

11
Terry McLaurin
46
46
47

11
George Pickens
45
46
46

13
Tyreek Hill
45
45
46

13
Mike Evans
44
45
46

15
Deebo Samuel
43
41
40

16
Malik Nabers
38
40
43

16
Jayden Reed
43
40
39

18
Marvin Harrison
39
39
39

19
Davante Adams
38
38
39

20
Zay Flowers
33
36
38

21
DeAndre Hopkins
34
35
36

22
DeVonta Smith
36
35
33

23
Calvin Ridley
33
34
35

24
Jakobi Meyers
32
33
34

25
CeeDee Lamb
31
32
33

25
Josh Downs
29
32
34

25
Cedric Tillman
31
32
33

25
Darnell Mooney
31
32
33

29
Brian Thomas
29
30
30

29
Tank Dell
29
30
31

29
Courtland Sutton
30
30
31

29
Jauan Jennings
29
30
31

33
Tee Higgins
29
29
29

34
J. Smith-Njigba
26
28
30

35
DJ Moore
26
27
28

35
Khalil Shakir
25
27
29

37
Ladd McConkey
24
26
28

38
Amari Cooper
26
25
24

38
Romeo Doubs
24
25
25

40
Jaylen Waddle
23
22
20

40
Jameson Williams
24
22
19

40
Quentin Johnston
24
22
20

40
Ricky Pearsall
21
22
23

44
Rome Odunze
18
18
18

44
Xavier Legette
18
18
18

46
Diontae Johnson
17
17
17

47
Jordan Addison
17
16
16

47
Mike Williams
18
16
15

49
Xavier Worthy
17
15
13

49
Jerry Jeudy
13
15
18

51
Michael Pittman
13
13
13

52
N. Westbrook-Ikhine
13
11
10

53
Elijah Moore
7
10
13

53
Christian Watson
12
10
9

55
Chris Olave
9
9
9

55
Wan’Dale Robinson
4
9
12

55
Tyler Lockett
8
9
9

55
Darius Slayton
10
9
8

55
M. Valdes-Scantling
11
9
8

55
Noah Brown
9
9
10

61
Demarcus Robinson
8
8
8

61
Alec Pierce
10
8
7

61
Rashod Bateman
9
8
8

64
Keenan Allen
7
7
7

64
Demario Douglas
6
7
10

66
Adam Thielen
5
6
7

67
Allen Lazard
6
5
4

67
Joshua Palmer
5
5
5

69
Keon Coleman
5
4
3

69
Dontayvion Wicks
4
4
4

69
Michael Wilson
6
4
3

69
DJ Turner
2
4
6

69
Kayshon Boutte
3
4
4

74
Jalen McMillan
3
3
3

74
Jalen Tolbert
3
3
3

74
Jalen Coker
3
3
3

74
Kendrick Bourne
3
3
3

74
Ray-Ray McCloud
3
3
4

74
John Metchie III
3
3
3

74
Devaughn Vele
3
3
3

74
Adonai Mitchell
3
3
3

82
Calvin Austin III
2
2
2

82
Tre Tucker
2
2
2

Tight end trade value chart

Rank
Player
STD
Half
Full

1
Travis Kelce
52
54
56

2
George Kittle
52
51
51

3
Brock Bowers
42
44
46

4
Trey McBride
36
39
42

5
Cade Otton
30
34
37

6
David Njoku
32
33
34

6
Mark Andrews
34
33
32

8
T.J. Hockenson
24
25
27

9
Sam LaPorta
25
24
23

10
Evan Engram
17
23
28

10
Kyle Pitts
23
23
23

12
Tucker Kraft
23
21
19

13
Dallas Goedert
21
20
19

14
Hunter Henry
17
17
16

15
Taysom Hill
18
16
15

16
Jake Ferguson
13
13
14

17
Dalton Kincaid
13
12
12

18
Mike Gesicki
9
9
9

19
Cole Kmet
9
8
8

20
Ja’Tavion Sanders
7
7
8

21
Zach Ertz
3
6
9

22
Theo Johnson
4
4
4

23
Jonnu Smith
3
3
4

Overall Week 11 fantasy football rest of season rankings

Note: These values are for 12-team, one-QB leagues with half-PPR scoring.

Given how abysmally Caleb Williams’ rookie season is going, there ought to be a healthy level of concern about whether the overall No. 1 pick is destined for the same downward spiral as Justin Fields and Mitch Trubisky. Or pretty much any other promising young QB the Bears have gotten their hands on.

Over the last 20 years, the Bears have drafted four “franchise” quarterbacks, only for each one to flame out. (Save it, Rex Grossman apologists. That Super Bowl season was despite him, not because of him.) At some point, it stops being about the failings of the quarterback and starts being about the failures of the people behind him.

And, in this case, that means the entire Bears organization.

This is not a case of Chicago picking the wrong guy, as they did with Trubisky and, to a degree, Grossman. Williams has the talent, the brains, the maturity and the charisma to be the cornerstone of a franchise. As did Fields, for what it’s worth.

NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.

What Williams doesn’t have is the infrastructure necessary for success, and that is squarely on the Bears.

Yes, he has more weapons than Fields was ever given. Among D’Andre Swift, DJ Moore, Keenan Allen and Cole Kmet, Williams has plenty of ways to pick apart opposing defenses. But he’s saddled with a similar second-rate offensive line. Which is either going to get him killed or force him into developing bad habits.

So far, it’s getting Williams killed. He’s been sacked an NFL-high 38 times, including nine times Sunday. Some of that is on the rookie, who acknowledges he can hold the ball too long. But it’s also on the Bears, who can’t seem to understand that a franchise QB is useless if he can’t stay upright or is constantly running for his life.

And just like with Trubisky and Fields, the Bears aren’t doing Williams any favors with who’s coaching him.

All rookie QBs, I don’t care how talented they are, are going to have a learning curve and will need guidance to navigate it. The best way would seem to be with a head coach with an offensive background or, alternatively, a hot-shot offensive coordinator.

The Bears, in their infinite wisdom, provided neither.

They hung on to head coach Matt Eberflus, whose background is on defense and who went 10-24 in his first two seasons. Then they passed over Kliff Kingsbury, who coached Williams at USC and also coached that Patrick Mahomes guy at Texas Tech, for offensive coordinator and hired Shane Waldron instead.

Now Kingsbury is in Washington, where Jayden Daniels is looking like maybe he should have been the No. 1 pick. The Commanders are the surprise of the NFL, and Williams and the Bears are in the middle of a five-alarm dumpster fire.

Unlike the other teams that drafted quarterbacks in the first round, the Bears didn’t even give Williams a veteran QB as a backup and mentor. Those who watched ‘Hard Knocks’ will remember that Chicago GM Ryan Poles cut Brett Rypien at the end of training camp, keeping two other young QBs on the roster.

“He’s where he is right now,” Eberflus said Monday of Williams. “We’re 4-5 and we’ve lost three in a row. Again, it’s about getting us on the right track.”

But any changes Eberflus and the Bears make — no way Waldron survives this week — is only so much shuffling of deck chairs. The problem isn’t Williams or the play calling and, contrary to how Eberflus tries to spin it, there are very few positives to be taken from this 4-5 season.

Three of Chicago’s four wins came against the dregs of the NFL, teams Chicago should beat, and the fourth was at home against a Los Angeles Rams team that was without Cooper Kupp, Puka Nacua and starting offensive linemen Steve Avila and Joe Noteboom.

Chicago has not scored an offensive touchdown in the last two games, and Williams has not thrown a TD pass in the last three. He’s regressing in his accuracy, completing less than 54% of his passes in each of the last three games, and only the Indianapolis Colts have a worse completion rate than Chicago.

This is before the Bears have even played a single game against their NFC North brethren — all of whom are putting on master classes in filling the quarterback position, mind you. Jared Goff has become an MVP contender since the Detroit Lions traded for him almost four years ago, while Minnesota’s Sam Darnold is showing it was more about the New York Jets and Carolina Panthers than him.

As for hated rival Green Bay, all the Packers have done is make seamless transitions from Brett Favre to Aaron Rodgers to Jordan Love. And when Love had to miss a couple of games earlier this year, Matt LaFleur had Tennessee Titans reject Malik Willis playing like Josh Allen Lite.

The Bears will be lucky to win one, maybe two more games the rest of the season, after which Eberflus and his staff will be let go and Williams will have to start over with a new head coach, new offensive coordinator and new scheme. This will have been a season wasted, critical time in Williams’ development squandered.

This is not a formula for success in the NFL. Yet the Bears keep going back to it, time and time again, with predictable results.

Follow USA TODAY Sports columnist Nancy Armour on social media @nrarmour.