Caleb Williams spoke with the media at Halas Hall on Wednesday ahead of the Chicago Bears’ Week 4 matchup with the Los Angeles Rams. He started by discussing his excitement to play against Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford.
Williams admitted that he was a big Calvin Johnson fan growing up. Watching highlights of the former Detroit Lions wide receiver turned him on to Stafford as a quarterback and helped him respect his game over the years.
“He controls the game. As a quarterback, he knows how to get in and out of things efficiently; he knows where people are going to be and where the defenders are going to be so that he can move them on a string.” Williams said on Wednesday.
“Watching him be able to move defenders, be able to move and maneuver in the pocket, and still deliver some nice passes down the field, or even just getting the ball to your back and allowing him to go to work, keeping the ball in play, a bunch of different arm angles and things like that. He’s been doing it for a while, and watching someone like that, who’s had the success he’s had, you want to learn from someone like that. It’s going to be exciting to go against him this week.”
Stafford will be the most experienced quarterback Williams has faced in his young NFL career, and even without his two best wide receivers, Cooper Kupp and Puca Nakua, Stafford will be a tough early foe for Williams.
It sounds like Caleb Williams is taking a more vocal role in the Chicago Bears’ offensive design
Coming off his best game of the season, Williams seems to be taking a more vocal role in the offensive design. When asked about the offensive unit’s communication and importance as the Bears work to figure things out, Williams said that it starts with him.
“It starts with me,” Williams said. “Being able to be a better communicator to the coaches, the players, and things like that about things that I would like a little bit more for certain situations, being a little more communicative and talking to those guys out there with us, [about] what they’re seeing and then getting to the sideline and being able to handle things properly on the sideline.”
Williams emphasized the importance of the offense running plays that are familiar and comfortable for everyone in the Bears’ offense, including himself. Reporters asked the rookie quarterback if Bears OC Shane Waldron has asked him for his input on that matter:
“Shane and I have talked about it. We’ve talked about it throughout the weeks, but [it’s about] being a little bit more in-depth, I would say, is what we’ve kind of come to after this past game. Being a little more in-depth about [those conversations] is the adjustments we’ve made after this last game.”
That’s a significant statement from Williams. We’ve seen him become more comfortable on the field with each passing week, so seeing him begin to insert his opinions and preferences into the offensive game plan is another checkpoint in his development.
When asked whether or not having those conversations with his offensive coordinator, especially at this stage of his career, was uncomfortable, Williams said that everyone has a job to do, and part of his is being able to communicate openly with his play-caller.
“I wouldn’t say it’s uncomfortable,” Williams said when asked whether these conversations with Waldron are uncomfortable as a rookie. “He has to call the plays, and I have to go out there and execute. We have alerts and stuff like that that I can change, route concepts that I can change depending on whatever the case may be, but he does have to call them, and I’ll still have to execute … me being able to communicate with him is important, and I’ll have to do it consistently.”
Williams said that the film paints an optimistic picture for him and the Bears offense moving forward, and if you’ve been following my film studies, I agree.
This and That …
- Williams on having Keenan Allen back at practice this week: “It’s going to be great for our offense. It’s something else that the defense has to worry about throughout this week and then obviously on gameday. It’s going to be great for us. His special talent of getting open in a phone booth is going to be great for us.”
- Williams on making adjustments and corrections after watching the tape after every game in the NFL versus his time in college: “As far as corrections go, I think both places are very detailed,” Williams said. “Being here and being with Lincoln [Riley], both places are detailed. Having detailed coaching and corrections after games and things like that. So, there may be more motions and things like that [in the NFL], but other than that, I think both places are well-coached. I think both places are detail-oriented. Taking the information and constant growth throughout the season is important for my career and the Chicago Bears.”
- Williams on throwing the ball 52 times against Indianapolis: “I told Shane this morning, ‘If I have to throw the ball 50 times, I have to throw the ball 50 times,’ but if we’re in a flow, running the ball, getting four yards a pop on the play, then let’s keep handing the ball off to our running backs and let them be special. Whatever it takes to win the game is what I’m going to do and what I’m happy to do. That’s what I’m here to do is: win games. So, we’ve got to get it going, we’ve got to get the offense going, got to get the run game going, I’ve got to be better with not turning the ball over. We’re going to be better. We’re excited for this week.”