In an NFC North loaded with heavyweight players, units and teams, the Chicago Bears are catching up to the class of the conference. Their defense is sound and talented at all three levels, which is a challenge for an offense that isn’t at the top of its game. They feature an absolute weapon (no, seriously) at punter in rookie Torrie Taylor, who deserves a weekly highlight video from the Bears’ social media team.
Defense and special teams? Sounds like the typical Chicago Bears. However, there is something different about these bears. The offense has stepped up to counter the decline in defensive quality after facing a veteran-laden Titans defense and a feisty, speedy Texans unit in the first two weeks, and has begun to shed some fat that looked like it was overplayed. Ta. As the offense began to take shape, the team’s No. 1 draft pick and potential franchise savior began to turn that sophisticated process into tangible results. And the process and results are as exciting as any player in the NFL, rookie or not.
Caleb Williams has made lofty comparisons as a prospect, from Aaron Rodgers to Patrick Mahomes to my own personal high-end prediction, Drew Brees. His combination of arm talent and creativity was tantalizing to evaluators craving high-end play at the position. After a shaky first two weeks of the season alongside strong play from fellow rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, whispers of “Did the Bears pick the wrong player again” have become an increasingly noisy conversation? It became a hot topic of discussion. But even as he weathered the storm of a volatile offense with injuries at skill positions, too many incidents, and an offensive line with communication issues, Williams was a steady, calming presence. That unique process established this offense and team. Until you succeed.
And now we are seeing the results.
Caleb Williams’ intelligence and polish are just as important as his arm talent.
First, let’s consider the obvious. Williams’ arm talent pops off the screen. Whether he’s throwing a touch pass to Keenan Allen in the end zone or facing off against Matthew Stafford on another windy day in Chicago, Williams adjusts the rotation of the ball, changes the angle of his arm, and moves it the way he wants. You can leave it to touch.
It’s not just his arm talent that leads to excitement about what his future could be. Williams’ position is also improving. The thing about Williams is that he is a methodical player and a clean operator. The extra-long plays and loop-the-loops he does on defenders are highlights and I would compare him to Brazilian soccer legend Garrincha. And the ability to create from structure is extremely important for modern NFL quarterbacks.
But as important as that is, modern quarterback play requires consistent operation when things go according to script. And Williams’ intelligence, sophistication, and ability to operate within the confines of the offense and set it on certain plays is what makes his long-term prospect so exciting.
Caleb Williams handles the operations of the offense, operating in the pocket and creating things out of structure. A great snapshot of what he brings to the table. pic.twitter.com/1X9mmjkNkV
— Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) October 13, 2024
First up is Williams’ mechanics. I use the word “clean” again because that’s exactly his mechanic. His footwork is characterized by no unnecessary movements. Even when he is attacking on the field, the ball always comes out in a timely manner. Hell, even his handoffs are teach tapes.
When Williams is attacking underneath, the line of fire from his Gatling gun gets caught in the pass catcher’s chest, turning him into a machine. This is especially evident in the red zone and on third down, where space becomes tighter and timing and decision-making become even more critical to success.
Caleb Williams not only zips the ball when he needs to, but he can also take touches. This is especially noticeable in high-leverage situations like the red zone or third down. pic.twitter.com/ozr9eZFEsx
— Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) October 23, 2024
The Bears trust Williams, and he’s returning the favor.
Williams’ momentum and accuracy on the ball shines through on straight dropback plays and fast games, but his decision-making and limits are challenged, especially when the Bears line up in empty formations with no other players. The feeling when you do it appears. There are only five pass protectors in the backfield, making timely decisions that are key to successful plays.
Since Week 2, Williams has become one of 13 NFL QBs with at least 20 dropbacks from empty formations. He ranks fourth among 13 QBs in dropback success rate behind Joe Burrow, Geno Smith and Baker Mayfield. And he finds success by attacking the entire field, not just quick underthrows or cheap screen passes. His average air yards on those pass attempts ranks third among the same group of 13 QBs who qualified at 9.5 yards.
The Bears also had complete drives with Williams running out of empty formations, allowing Williams to handle the final play call on some plays (more on this later) ). Even if each team tries to run a common coverage and throw a wrench in their distributed formation plans, like the Jaguars in the clip below dropped eight defenders into coverage and flooded the throwing lanes, Williams I would calmly hang in the pocket and go for the middle option. Concept of high and low.
It was clear from the start that Williams was in complete control of the Bears’ offense, even as he struggled against the Texans’ tenacious pass rush on national television. There was Williams, changing protections and communicating plays like a player who played in 100 NFL games.
Caleb Williams correctly identified the new Mike (the player the OL is responsible for) at #29. Even Al-Sha’ir admits that they have been discovered.
Travis Homer is still checking protection and is late to tip Braxton Jones, who is hoping for some outside help. pic.twitter.com/lluZ7pLH6H
— Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) September 17, 2024
Williams changes the “Mike” point to Texans’ No. 29 on this play. What he’s doing is he’s taking responsibility for the offensive line, which is a four-man defensive line, and currently No. 29 is responsible for protection, and the RB and TE are working from there. It tells you that you will.
Even Texans linebacker Azeez Al Shaair acknowledged that Williams understood the blitz style.
Williams’ control is reflected in the Bears’ heavy use of no-huddle. No huddle doesn’t necessarily mean warp speed to snap the ball as quickly as possible. Other times, the offense will get to the line of scrimmage, give the dummy rhythm, and check in on the play it thinks best suits the situation. According to TruMedia, the Bears have the second-highest no-huddle rate in the NFL, but that’s not because they’re far behind in games. They will take at least one or two drives per game without huddled together and letting Williams decide the best play.
Here, he objects to the Texans giving protection calls to the Bears’ offensive line and route concepts (“twig” is a slang term for the common “stick” concept) to pass catchers.
You can hear Caleb Williams change the play after sensing pressure in the slot.
Grants “300 Jet”, which is standard 6-person protection.
Then you hear him say “twig” on cue as the Bears run the stick concept. pic.twitter.com/ZMIbpzFFGH
— Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) September 16, 2024
Williams had a Noh-like sequence against the Panthers that featured only plays from eEmpty (a double whammy before and after the snap operation).
He had a similar no-huddle sequence against the Jaguars, calling plays as he saw fit. There are even instances where Williams solved the blitz problem by directing a quick out route and avoiding the problem altogether.
I hear Williams say “32,” which I believe is the run tag on this play.
Shelton talks about slot pressure (why do we get blitzed?!), but I don’t think Williams is that worried because he has the answer (out or on the bubble) . https://t.co/4qCAzLnmGx pic.twitter.com/oRGwWtPOa8
— Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) October 6, 2024
Full control for NFL coaching staffs to not only give rookie QBs the freedom to change plays, but also to fully coordinate the offensive line’s protection calls and use hand signals and codes to basically draw plays into the dirt. I have to emphasize how great it is for NFL coaching staffs to give. words. And he also consistently makes those calls and adjustments accurately. Williams shows off the homework and preparation he’s already done early in his career.
Williams’ advanced surgery also shows up after the snap. On DJ Moore’s touchdown against the Panthers, Williams moved the deep safety with his eyes, then snapped back and gave Moore a great throw.
As Williams’ eyes turn to the bubble and pump concept, you’ll see the helmet begin to spin and sprint at the bottom of the screen. He could safely take the bait before throwing.
When this concept becomes vague, most quarterbacks will simply check down or throw the ball away. Williams was already eyeing options at the next level.
This is Caleb Williams, the Bears’ No. 1 overall draft pick.
This combination of smarts, physical talent and the Bears offensive staff’s trust in Williams is starting to pay off, getting a little boost as the defense gets easier. Since Week 3, Williams ranks fifth in EPA per dropback and sixth in dropback completion percentage among eligible NFL QBs, ranking him among familiar faces like Lamar Jackson, Patrick Mahomes, and Joe Burrow. His name is on par with fellow rookie standout Jaden Daniels.
(We’ll have more on Daniels and the Commanders’ offense in the coming weeks.) They play the Bears this week and also run the no-huddle at the highest rate in the NFL, so this weekend will be a fun game with a different style. Especially if Daniels is suffering from a rib injury. )
Williams and the Bears’ offense should be able to continue their upward trend after the bye with a toothless defense in the coming weeks leading up to November’s NFC North Battle Royale. All of the Bears’ NFC North games have occurred over the past eight weeks, starting with a Nov. 17 home game against the Packers.
After some erratic box scores and interceptions in the early going, as he was trying too hard to see what he could get away with, Williams has been great in his adjustment to the NFL. He has already shown the ability to handle the entire offense, handling more offense than any highly paid quarterback in history, and even in high-pressure situations in his first month as a pro. are doing it. Hell, my first week as a pro.
I can confidently say this is the Bears’ best quarterback as far as I can remember. The hurdles are low, but I’ll state this as a fact. And I don’t mean what Williams potentially could be. I mean, what is he doing now?
This is a total package of accuracy, arm talent, creativity, toughness, and intelligence. This is a franchise quarterback.
