It is becoming apparent the Chicago Bears have finally found the right quarterback. Caleb Williams delivered arguably his best performance of the year on Sunday against the Green Bay Packers. He amassed over 300 total yards, capped by a masterful final drive that put the team in position to kick a game-winning field goal. Sadly, it was blocked, robbing him of another signature 4th quarter comeback in the past month. However, it wasn’t those moments that likely won over the locker room. It is what he did in the days leading up to the game.
Last week, the Bears made the difficult decision to part ways with offensive coordinator Shane Waldron. Scoring just 27 points the past three games and no touchdowns in the previous two led to a breaking point. Reports indicate multiple players went to GM Ryan Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus requesting a change. However, it appears Williams felt personally responsible. According to Jay Glazer of Fox Sports, the rookie decided to speak during a team meeting, apologizing to his teammates for not playing well enough. Had he been better, firing Waldron never would’ve been necessary.
Caleb Williams takes more accountability than his head coach.
While Eberflus speaks in bland platitudes and insists better execution is always the problem, not his bad decisions, his young quarterback constantly states he made mistakes. There is no dodging responsibility. It is always the simple admission that he wasn’t good enough. Teammates aren’t the problem. Coaches aren’t the problem. He is the problem. When you talk about leadership, that is what it looks like. Williams had no reason to stick his neck out for Waldron, but he did it because he felt it was the right thing to do.
His play over the past three weeks was rough. He completed barely 50% of his passes for 468 yards, no touchdowns, a 64.7 passer rating, and took 18 sacks. The guy looked lost at times, and the offense paid the price with constant punts. Waldron took the brunt of the blame for it, but that didn’t sit right with Caleb Williams. It’s a team game. If he had played better, it never would’ve come to that. This is why the kid is easy to root for. He understands the game at a fundamental level.
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I agree with Erik that this is a good development, it shows character, and it is indicative that he is a future leader.
That said, I have to wonder, if Flus is fired at the end of the season, will Caleb apologize for that? Suppose Poles is fired at the end of the season? Maybe even Kevin Warren’s position could be in jeopardy (although I doubt it, as he inherited both Poles and Flus)? Where does Caleb draw the line?
He should. He hasn’t played up to his standard, but also isn’t taking to the Eberflus school of accountability. He recognizes regardless of others, he can do better. That is accountability and leadership. Something his head coach has yet to establish.