Right before Chicago’s bye week, it looked as if Caleb Williams had turned a corner. It looked as if everything was coming together for the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft out of USC.

These days, not so much. And that’s a major issue for the Bears going into the most difficult part of their schedule.

Playing behind a patchwork offensive line, Williams was sacked nine times and passed for just 120 yards during Sunday’s 19-3 loss to the lowly New England Patriots. The Bears went 1 for 14 on third down and finished with just 142 yards in their third consecutive loss.

“We have to do a better job, starting with us, starting with myself, at situational ball, negative plays and things like that,” Williams said. “When you’re good at not having negative plays, when you’re good at executing, when you’re good at executing situational ball, you’re a tough team to beat.”

Chicago (4-5) failed to score a touchdown in back-to-back games for the first time since December 2004. It has scored a total of 27 points during its slide.

Williams, who turns 23 on Nov. 18, dropped his first NFL matchup with each of the two quarterbacks that were taken right after him in the draft. The Bears lost 18-15 at Washington on Oct. 27 on Jayden Daniels’ last-second Hail Mary, and Drake Maye directed New England to its third win of the season.

Chicago had won three in a row before its current slide. Williams completed 74% of his passes for 687 yards and seven touchdowns with one interception during the win streak. The promising stretch culminated with Williams throwing for four TDs in a 35-16 victory over Jacksonville.

The Bears had their open week after defeating the Jaguars in London on Oct. 13. Somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean, it looks as if Williams and company lost their way.

Williams has completed 50.5% of his passes for 468 yards in the past three games. He has no TD passes and no interceptions during the losing streak, and he has been sacked 18 times.

“Caleb’s strong. He’s strong inside. He’s strong outside. He’s a strong individual,” Bears coach Matt Eberflus said. “And he’s been through adversity. And he knows how to do this, he knows how to get through adversity by pulling together.”

HE’S NO. 1: Alvin Kamara had 109 yards from scrimmage in Sunday’s 20-17 win over the Atlanta Falcons and became the New Orleans Saints’ all-time rushing leader.

Kamara’s 55 yards on 17 carries gave him 6,544 yards, eclipsing Mark Ingram’s previous mark of 6,500. Kamara is in his eighth NFL season, all with the Saints.

ELLIOTT RETURNS: Ezekiel Elliott played for the Dallas Cowboys a week after he was left home for disciplinary reasons, and the running back had a costly fumble in the first half against NFC East rival Philadelphia.

Elliott fumbled into the end zone with the Cowboys in position to take a lead on the Eagles in the second quarter. Philadelphia’s Cooper DeJean recovered the fumble.