Caleb Williams
(AP Photo/Kamil Krzaczynski)

Williams Maturing Quicker Than Expected

Photo of Michael Canter Michael CanterOctober 9, 2024

Bears quarterback Caleb Williams is 3-2 and has played turnover-free football for two consecutive games. His passer rating and EPA/Play have improved each week, and according to wide receiver D.J. Moore, Williams is a leader on the field and in the huddle, too.

“It’s amazing,” Moore said on Wednesday. “He’s taken those strides that he needs to. He’s been bossy lately, telling us that we need to be in on the details. We really do for him to be the best player he needs to be.”

Moore’s assessment that Williams is “bossy” drew some laughter from reporters gathered for the London press conference.

“What I mean by bossy is, if we don’t hit something in practice, he’s going to tell us how we need to run it and this and that,” the receiver explained. “And we just look at him and be like, ‘OK.’ That’s him being a leader. He’s a little bossy. It’s the little bro [in him].”

The light-hearted version of Moore is much nicer than the brooding version we witnessed through Week 4. The veteran receiver can be perceived as hard on his teammates at times but he’s essentially hard on himself. he wears his emotions on his sleeve while doing so.

The pair finally found their missing on-field chemistry in Sunday’s 36-10 win over the Panthers. Williams and Moore connected five times for 105 yards and two scores, and Moore did it against Jaycee Horn, one of the NFL’s better pass defenders. Overall, the rookie quarterback completed 20 of 29 passes for 304 yards. The Bears have won three of their first five games for the first time since 2021. He’s also shown improved play from the pocket with a trick or two up his sleeve, such as Sunday’s no-look pass to Moore.

Williams joked that being called bossy sounds a little “sassy,” but he’s good with it as long as it’s a camaraderie-building assessment.

“Partially, it was me learning everybody and understanding how everybody reacts,” he said. “Certain people you can be a little bossy with. [With others] you have to talk very monotone and in control of yourself, and other times [there are] people that you can just kind of lash out at. I don’t lash out much. That’s not my vibe.

“But just always coming over to talk to the guys when I can. Growing up a little bit. Understanding that even when I’m frustrated about maybe a drive or a play that we had that we may have messed up or whatever the case may have been, understanding that there’s another drive coming, there’s another part of the season that we have to focus on also. Being able to go over and talk to them and understand how and what they need to hear and then from there moving on.

“The other part of it is getting more comfortable in understanding the offense a little bit better.”

GM Ryan Poles said Williams is right where he needs to be in his development.

“The journey is going to be different [for everyone]. I think the important thing is for Caleb to understand that as well and run his race and he’s done that well in terms of just focusing on ‘How can I get better? How can I put our team in a position to win games?’

“I think he’s learning how to play professional football. You’ve seen that in terms of the efficiency, protecting the football. [He’s] taking what’s given to him and now [the] explosives are starting to show up. So, I really like his progress. I love the work ethic and the time that he’s put into it, the grit and toughness, the ability to bounce back from tough games. He’s right where he should be and he’s continuing to get better.”

The best example of Williams’s maturation process is his ability to quickly read NFL defenses and adjust on the fly. Center Coleman Shelton wanted to let Williams know of an imminent blitz in Sunday’s win and it was picked up during the telecast.

“We’ve got fuckin’ fire, man!” Shelton said.

“I got it!” Williams replied.

The rookie signal-caller quickly readjusted changed the play, and calmly completed a six-yard sideline pass to Cole Kmet. That type of pro-ready quarterback play has been lost on Bears fans since Nick Foles earned a spot start or two, and not regularly since the heralded days of Jay Cutler. The scary thing, at least for opposing defenses, is he is just starting to understand the nuances of NFL football.

It’s also important to remember that he still has to get Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze a little more involved in the offensive game plan. Moore, Kmet, and D’Andre Swift are in the quarterback’s circle of trust, and Odunze is nearly there. And don’t forget, he’s working with Shane Waldron for the first time. Williams is now on a pace to throw for more than 3,700 yards despite a total of 267 yards through Week 2. That would rank No. 3 all-time in franchise history. He’s thrown fewer interceptions than Jordan Love, who has missed two games. He’s going to set the team rookie record for completions and touchdowns at his current pace.

Back to Moore, who now refers to Williams as “little bro.'”

“I took his advice,” the receiver said of a recent conversation with Williams. “I listened, and big bro [Moore, referring to himself] had to take a back seat for a second.”

That makes Williams the unquestionable leader of Chicago’s offense. Even those who wrote the former Heisman winner off before he took a single snap are starting to convert. The Bears’ second-half schedule is a virtual gauntlet. They play all of their NFC North opponents plus the 49ers in seven of the final nine weeks. Those games seemed unwinnable a few weeks ago, but Williams and Chicago’s offense should be up to the challenge. Who knows? It’s still a little far-fetched, but Williams, with the help of the Bears’ elite defense, could challenge for a Wild Card spot.

Photo of Michael Canter Michael CanterOctober 9, 2024
Bears Insider © Copyright 2024, All Rights Reserved
Back to top button