The Chicago Bears will feature on HBO’s Hard Knocks later this month. However, that is the classic training camp version. HBO and NFL Films decided to expand the series this year by including an off-season version. That is where cameras follow an organization through the team-building process, from free agency through the draft. The New York Giants were selected as the first team to do this, commemorating their 100th anniversary. In the second episode, they went through multiple interviews at the scouting combine, paying particular attention to the quarterbacks. Sure enough, Caleb Williams made an appearance.
As an offensive guy, Giants head coach Brian Daboll wanted to see how he handled work on the whiteboard. That included getting the quarterbacks to draw up particular plays from memory that they loved. It was here that he posed an interesting question to Williams. If he could only run a single pass play over and over for an entire game, which one would he choose? After thinking for a moment, the quarterback found the perfect one. He then quickly drew it up, explaining why he preferred it.
Bears fans will love to look at how he sees the field and how his mind works. Daboll even compared him a bit to Brett Favre.
Caleb Williams certainly lived up to his reputation.
He was both self-assured and calm in his approach. There was no overthinking or stuttering. Despite having all of those prominent eyes on him, he diagramed the play and pinpointed the advantages of running it over and over. It was also great that he chose an empty formation, which basically put the ball in his hands. There would be no room for a running back in his money play—such a quarterback move. Jokes aside, it was fascinating to see his thought process and how confident he was in knowing he could put the ball where it needed to go.
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One can safely assume the Chicago Bears have taken similar input from him over the past couple of months. Offensive coordinator Shane Waldron is sure to have some of those plays drawn up in the playbook. In the end, the Giants’ work didn’t matter. They selected a wide receiver at 6th overall instead. Their interviews ended up making nothing more than good television. Yet it’s easy to understand why they tried to trade up when the 1st round began. Caleb Williams and the others were impressive.
That’s a lot on a rookie to run an empty backfield passing game all game long. Caleb is a dynamic runner, but our OL needs to be dynamic as well, or he’ll take some lumps. Our TEs need to get off the LOS quickly.
At least we have the flexibility to run pre snap movement and formation shifts now.
We need disruption from the 3T position for this all to gel.
@jim Jones I guess I missed the news that he signed his deal over the past 24 hours.
Prolly be the only time he will be on Hard Knocks unless they can they that contract signed.
This is definitely not as sexy as the hypothetical doom and gloom that will happen in the event he jumps on the table and demands rookie scale contracts are changed because of him.