Caleb Williams is at the heart of the Chicago Bears’ hopes to finally break through for their first playoff berth is seven years. Quarterback has been the one position that has haunted them for decades. No organization has done worse at cultivating it in the Super Bowl era. Only two players managed even to make a Pro Bowl in 60 years. Williams marked the first time it felt like the Bears had the right guy. His first season didn’t go as hoped, characterized by 68 sacks and a complete crapshow of a coaching staff.
That is why the Bears devoted all their resources this offseason to helping him. They threw tons of money on the offensive line and spent their first two picks in the draft on weapons (Colston Loveland and Luther Burden). However, it was the arrival of head coach Ben Johnson, an offensive wizard from Detroit, who would determine whether he could progress or not. Reports from training camp have been encouraging, and a pair of plays from the most recent practice on Saturday illustrated how fast it’s happening. Courtney Cronin of ESPN provided details.
Facing third-and-10 from the 17-yard line, Williams rolled to his right while evading the rush and fired a pass to tight end Cole Kmet in the back right corner of the end zone for a touchdown…
…Williams’ best moment was during an 11-on-11 red zone period where he threaded the needle on a tight-window to throw to Odunze for a touchdown. The quarterback continued to roll toward the sideline after launching the ball on the run and let out an emphatic “Let’s f—ing go!” in celebration.
Caleb Williams is starting to address his biggest concerns.
The two things he seemed to struggle with the most last season were handling blitzes on 3rd and long and throwing the ball with accuracy into tight windows. It is what often led him to holding the ball too long and taking sacks. These two plays show he has learned how to handle them. Sensing pressure and finding Kmet for a touchdown in the face of a blitz is a big deal. It proves Johnson’s plan to have Dennis Allen throw extra pressure at Caleb Williams frequently was smart. As for the Odunze throw, it proves the quarterback is gaining more confidence in his accuracy. Throwing windows in the NFL are small. Defensive backs at this level are too smart and too athletic. You must be willing to take some chances and trust your receivers to make a play.
