Caleb Williams becoming a good quarterback isn’t a huge shock to many. He was a superstar in college and the #1 overall pick for a reason. The kid has a bottomless pool of talent. However, it is how his recent ascent has transpired that has many people baffled. During his time at USC, Williams earned a reputation for his physics-defying ability as a scrambler, weaving out of trouble and finding open guys down the field once outside the pocket. That is why he kept drawing comparisons to Patrick Mahomes. There was one problem. Many felt this meant he wasn’t any good from the pocket. Kliff Kingsbury tried everything possible to dispute that claim.
The former USC assistant coach and current Washington Commanders offensive coordinator spent a year working with Williams. He recognized early on that the quarterback wasn’t just good in the pocket. It might be his actual strength. Yet the rumors about it being a weakness kept filtering through the national media and even NFL circles. National insider Jordan Schultz revealed on The Herd that Kingsbury did everything he could to counter them.
The Bears were smart enough to meet with Kliff Kingsbury.
They flew to Los Angeles earlier this year to speak with him about their offensive coordinator position while also using the opportunity to learn about Williams. It is a safe bet he told them the same things he told Schultz. Don’t let the frequent scrambling paint a picture. When allowed to play from the pocket, he could do it as well as anybody. GM Ryan Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus took the advice to heart. By March of this year, the decision was all but made. Williams would be their pick at #1.
After a tough three-game stretch to start the season, the rookie has evolved rapidly since the start of October. In his past three games, Williams has seven touchdowns and only one interception. No doubt Kliff Kingsbury has a sense of self-satisfaction seeing that. Unfortunately, he may soon be the victim of it with the Bears coming to Washington this weekend. This is another reminder that the situation plays a big part in how a quarterback plays, not just ability.
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@Dr. S – you are also 100% correct about human behavior. I tend to try to leave emotions out of work wherever I can. You are correct that a rookie QB might not see it that way.
And if he doesn’t, that is 100% acceptable for him. Different people walk different paths.
@Tred You are 100% correct. Such would be the rational, logical, and most professional approach to take for a rookie QB and his advisors. But given most human beings’ emotions, and a football player playing in his home city against another top rookie QB, I am hard pressed to think any rookie QB could do so. I hope I’m wrong. The extreme alternative is Caleb unleashed.
Maybe Williams should just treat this like another game?
The path to true greatness is not traveled in a single step. Rather, this should be looked at as just another step along the way. Winning, or losing, this game will not help, or harm, Williams or the Bears more or less than any other.
Just go out there and take care of your job in a professional manner. The rest will take care of itself.
This week will be huge for CW. Lots of extra pressure to perform well. Should be a good gauge of how he handles pressure. Does he excel under the lights? Hopefully he rises to the occasion. Go Bears
Maybe our center should yell, “We got F-ing fire, man!” on the first play of every game to get everyone in the right mindset.