Everybody stuck to their narratives after Caleb Williams‘ performance on Saturday against the Cincinnati Bengals. Critics lambasted him for his poor start, marked by three straight three-and-outs and the inability to string together completions. Others were enamored with his ability to create magic on the fly, delivering some jaw-dropping throws that resulted in ten points in the 2nd quarter. This is no surprise. People won’t budge from their standing positions until given no other choice.
All the Chicago Bears need to focus on is ensuring Williams keeps developing. While his highlight throws were incredible, there were other signs of progress that people may have missed. One of the most encouraging came on his final drive of the day. He had just completed a pass for 11 yards and a first down to reach the 26-yard line. Williams was seen reading the defense as the Bears came to the line. He immediately makes adjustments to the play, appearing to check into a run to Khalil Herbert. The running back used his blocks to cut back for a 21-yard gain.
Caleb Williams is already showing command of the offense.
Many rookies wouldn’t have had the werewithal or willingness to change the play like that. They would’ve been a good soldier and run the play that was called. Instead, he recognized the Bears had a potential size and numbers advantage based on what the defense showed. Rather than keep the ball in his hands as many quarterbacks would, he did the smart thing and gave Herbert a chance to make a play. It worked out beautifully. Williams delivered his now viral 45-yard dime two plays later to Rome Odunze. Chicago would score a touchdown right before the half.
Yes, Caleb Williams has a ways to go before he becomes more efficient and surgical in his approach as a passer. Nobody should be shocked by that. Rookies almost never operate like that. The Bears needed to see whether he was starting to grasp the intricacies of the offense. The execution will come with time. That run check is a perfect example of what they hoped for. It is a small detail that led to a big result. As Williams mentioned, this is the essence of football. Get enough small details right or wrong, and you get good or bad results.
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@bluridge You’re funny. He scored more points in that 2nd QTR than either Cincy or Buffalo could score in two full games with any of their players. And to top it off, Caleb absolutely sucked for an entire quarter and still scored more points than both of those teams combined. You are just a troll with no life. Have fun making stupid comments like that. Caleb is leading a team, not a one-man show.
Here’s the way I think it’s best to look at this with a glass-full attitude. Was the highly efficient game against the Bills the real Caleb or the struggling one? Or is it somewhere in the middle? Another question I have is what was common in both games. The off-platform plays that were 20 yards or longer. Two weeks in a row, his play got the ball down inside the red zone with his legs or throwing. Twice he ran the ball on 3rd and long. Once for a 1st down that kept the drive alive and the second for… Read more »
Everybody gushing cuz the Bears with the anointed one scored 10 points in a half against Bengals 2nd stringers. Sukkas.
@barry Mc Give it a rest. Just because you have a man crush on that loser JF, you have to find something to knock just to fit your losing narrative. By the way, the Caleb led Bears haven’t lost yet. And in case you haven’t noticed, JF the wannabe, hasn’t won yet. Sound familiar? Don’t say it’s just preseason – Pittsburgh has the same chance to win as the Bears but hasn’t. In Pittsburgh’s last preseason game poser QB JF, was stopped for a loss on a run (again) in the 3rd Q that ended a scoring drive. It was… Read more »
@Barry – Yes, that production is acceptable from pick 1.01, because: a) It’s his second preseason game. b) He’s a rookie. c) It was one bad quarter. If it were a regular season game, and he played the whole game, which Caleb do you think would have showed up for the second half, first quarter Caleb or second quarter Caleb? (Hint, if you said first quarter Caleb, you’re wrong.) The expectation that Caleb Williams will play, as a rookie, just as well as Pat Mahomes or Tom Brady at their peaks, is comical. Caleb needs to develop, find his style,… Read more »