The Chicago Bears have been looking for a franchise quarterback since the end of World War II.
It seems they have found one in Caleb Williams.
Williams, the first overall pick in this year’s draft, enters a situation that is both fantastic and difficult.
On one hand, he’s entering an offense coached by veteran coordinator Shane Waldron and surrounded by weapons like receivers DJ Moore, Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze, tight end Cole Kmet and running back D’Andre Swift. On the other, Williams is expected to be the long-awaited savior for Chicago’s best team, playing in the third-largest market in the country. Translation? Patience won’t be an option.
But so far the tests have been successful.
In the Bears’ first preseason game, they visited the Buffalo Bills and gave Williams two drives to start the game. The former USC star performed well, completing 4 of 7 passes for 95 yards, leading Chicago to two scoring attempts.
“His demeanor on the sideline and in the huddle was a little different,” tight end Cole Kmet said of Williams in last weekend’s preseason game compared to practice. “He was very focused on game day. You could feel his confidence in the huddle, in the way he called plays and on the line of scrimmage. His cadence was great on game day. All those things seemed to work. You could see him figuring things out from play to play. … His confidence is unwavering, and it’s really cool to see him on a couple of drives.”
When asked if that wasn’t an experience shared by previous quarterbacks Kmet has played with, the answer was telling.
“Yes, he is different. He is different. That’s for sure.”
On Thursday, in the pouring rain at Halas Hall, Williams faced a relatively unique challenge against the Cincinnati Bengals during their joint practice. Facing a three-man front with Cincinnati defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo throwing free throws and pressure passes, Williams threw an interception before bouncing back to win the team’s reps in a big way against the Bengals’ first-team defense.
Despite the poor weather, Williams fired straight at goal with speed, reaching Allen on an outside route with perfect placement towards the touchline. He also made some breaks, including a tight slant to Odunze and another along the hash lines.
In summary, Williams hasn’t been perfect. He’s struggled to hold onto the ball at times. He’s missed his shot from time to time. But his tools are evident and his desire to stay aggressive has remained intact, which are arguably the two best indicators that Williams will ultimately be the answer Chicago has been looking for.
“It was really good because Cincinnati offers a different structure, a different set of circumstances or perspectives than you get on different teams around the league. You’re going to deal with it week in and week out. It was very beneficial to play against a Buffalo team that is very similar to us in terms of defense, so it wasn’t that hard for him to learn those rules and where things are at in terms of the passing game.”
In Saturday’s preseason game against Cincinnati, Williams will get some reps with the starters, though Eberflus declined to say how many. Regardless, he’ll get more work, likely with Allen, Moore and Odunze.
“We’ve come a long way,” Kmet said. “I started coming back to OTAs in April. Obviously with Caleb coming in, new to the center field, new to the group, new to the cadence, all that was new and I think we’ve gotten past that in OTAs.
“We had our ups and downs leading up to camp, but I think we’ve been improving over time. It’s not a straight line, but I think we’re getting better and better every day. We’ve got a couple weeks left before the first game. I think we’re in a good spot right now, but we have a chance to really step up in the next few weeks and be where we really want to be in Week 1.”
Williams and the Bears have three weeks to prepare for the season opener against the Tennessee Titans at Soldier Field.
On that day, all eyes will be on Williams, with most of them waiting for him to show that he represents the franchise.
Best thing I’ve seen: Khalil Herbert showing the full package
Herbert may be a bit of a national underdog, but the Bears are well aware of his talents. He showed a glimpse of it against the Bengals early in the half, taking a stretch play down the left side for a 60-yard touchdown, showing a nice mix of patience and explosion.
With Swift signing a three-year, $24 million deal, Herbert is vying to be the No. 2 back in the rotation. If that’s the case, Chicago should be pleased with its depth chart given that Herbert rushed for 611 yards on 4.6 yards per carry last season.
Best thing I heard: Kevin Byard with a great line
“Yeah, it was cool, it was like a Remember the Titans-type of practice. »
Veteran Kevin Byard gives a nice boost to a rainy day. Besides, who doesn’t love a reference to one of the greatest football movies ever made? This is a good job.
Veteran Who Impressed: Jaylon Johnson, CB
Jaylon Johnson signed a four-year, $76 million contract this offseason. The Bears may have gotten a bargain.
During team play, Johnson was matched up against Bengals star receiver Tee Higgins on multiple occasions. And while Higgins was plagued by falls throughout the rainy afternoon, Johnson was all over him during their face-offs.
Twice, once deep and once on the fade, Johnson played quarterback Joe Burrow’s passes beautifully, breaking them up before sparking a celebration.
“I’ve played with a lot of good cornerbacks over the years,” safety Kevin Byard said. “Malcolm Butler is one of them, Logan Ryan, but Jaylon is definitely one of the best I’ve played with. He’s a true cornerback, a guy that when there’s a lot of different coverages … if I see (Johnson) on a guy, I can leave him alone and talk to the other safety on the other side of the field like, ‘Hey, we can push coverage,’ because I know he’s not going to give up.”
With Johnson, Chicago has a clear advantage most weeks.
Rookie Who Impressed: Rome Odunze, WR
We started with Williams, so let’s move on to Chicago’s other first-round pick.
Odunze certainly looks the part at 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds, and he handled business against the Bengals defense. The Washington product consistently worked open on both quick and deep routes, at one point beating Cincinnati cornerback Dax Hill on a slant that would have been very effective in a play-action setting.
In Chicago, Odunze will likely be the third target in the passing game as he learns the offense, taking a smaller target share than veterans Moore and Allen. But when he hits his ceiling, watch out.
Song of the day: “Legend” by Drake
Williams is about to become a legend. This is the beginning of that journey. That’s it.
