Matt Eberflus said from the outset that Caleb Williams would be the starting quarterback for the Chicago Bears. There would be no veteran going ahead of him to allow learning time and no competition. Williams is the guy. It would be his and the coaching staff’s job to ensure he’s ready. To that end, Eberflus set out a plan. It involved the rookie going against the starting defense in every practice. The goal was simple: Williams needed to get a constant taste of what he’d see every Sunday.
However, there’s been an added wrinkle to the mix that Eberflus isn’t typically known for. The defense has been blitzing. A lot. Several beat reporters have mentioned it, describing the scene as the “kitchen sink” being thrown at Williams. In fact, the quarterback himself commented on it during an interview on Up & Adams. He admitted that the blitzing has been abundant, perhaps more so than would be typical in actual games. With a smile, he looked at the camera, blaming Eberflus for it, knowing the head coach controls the practices.
Caleb Williams calls it like he sees it.
While he didn’t disparage Eberflus, he also wasn’t going to let his coach off the hook. No sane defensive coordinator, save for Brian Flores in Minnesota, would launch such waves of blitzes at a quarterback during normal games. However, there is a method to the madness. Williams himself admitted that he’s been struggling to diagnose when and where the blitzes are coming from. Any smart coach would decide to keep throwing them at him until he starts figuring it out. The quarterback may not like it, but this is the time to do it.
Defenders aren’t allowed to touch him. It’s far better than waiting until September, when they can start making contact. Eberflus wants Caleb Williams to see as many different looks as possible so they’re burned into his brain. He isn’t doing this to bully his young quarterback. It’s all about teaching. Williams doesn’t have to like it. He only has to use it to keep growing. By all accounts, he’s done that. He will get his first chance at some real game action on Saturday against the Buffalo Bills.
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Totally a positive thing. I think sugarcoating defenses for a QB is a disservice to him, it allows him to think he is better than what he truly is and when truth hits him like an NFL player it tends to give them a lack of self-confidence. What’s good about all this is Caleb is reading the defenses and not running at the first sign of pressure.
I learned a lot from my students. It kept me proficient. I think our HC is going to be dialed in to start the season. This will also give him and our defense a look at how to stop Mahomes and Josh Allen.
As a teacher myself, one of the best things a student can say is that I challenged him or her. So I don’t think Caleb is putting Flus on the hook, I think he’s being honest and he understands that being challenged is how he will get better. I strongly suspect that Flus will be watching film of the next opponent’s D, noting how they blitz, and running those same blitzes at Caleb during the week leading up to playing that opponent. Can’t think of a better way to challenge him or get him ready for gameday.