Caleb Williams Shows Improvement Despite Bears’ Loss
The Chicago Bears, after their Week 2 encounter, face significant questions about their defense after conceding 52 points to the Detroit Lions. However, amidst the defeat that marked the Bears’ second loss (0-2) in the NFC North, quarterback Caleb Williams exhibited a notable improvement. In his second game under coach Ben Johnson, Williams threw for 207 yards, two touchdowns and an interception, completing 63.3% of his passes. A positive aspect is that the Bears have scored a touchdown on the first offensive possession in two consecutive weeks, something that did not happen during Williams’ rookie season.Williams excelled in rhythmic dropbacks, where he threw the ball between 2.5 and 4.0 seconds, according to statistics. In these scenarios, he completed 14 of 21 attempts for 191 yards and two touchdowns, compared to 5 of 9 for 16 yards and an interception on quick or extended pass attempts. The former No. 1 connected with receiver Rome Odunze on both touchdown passes, totaling three in two games. Although both Johnson and the quarterback identified areas for improvement, such as throwing the ball out of bounds in the second quarter, Williams believes that progress will manifest with more repetitions.I saw significant growth. It’s not perfect yet. There are still some plays where our eyes aren’t in the right position or we’re taking a little longer than we should with the ball. But I saw tremendous growth in terms of progressing. There were a few times where we had to get to the third or fourth option and he trusted his feet and his footwork and was able to get there.
Ben Johnson
Accuracy was a challenge for Williams in the Week 1 loss against the Vikings, where his completion percentage dropped from 81% in the first half to 42% in the second. Williams attributed some inaccurate passes to his footwork and hesitation, rather than “throwing with everything”. Despite the improvement, there is still work to be done for Williams to consistently perform at the highest level. The Lions pressured the Bears’ quarterback on 43.2% of his dropbacks, resulting in four sacks. Chicago was penalized six times on offense, including two false starts and two holding penalties. In addition, the Bears failed to convert two fourth-down attempts and turned the ball over twice.I think it’s about the offense being consistent. In the technique, in the plays that are called. And go out there and be technical about it and beat the man in front of you. That includes myself. I think we just do that over and over and over again. We don’t try to create explosive plays. We don’t try to be Superman and they will come. Everyone made their eleventh and we move on.
Caleb Williams
The pressure mounts for Week 3, where the Bears will host the Dallas Cowboys and defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus, ten months after the former Bears coach was fired during Williams’ rookie season. Johnson’s goal is to build on the steady improvement he has seen in his quarterback during the first two games.With a team like that on the other side, they make you pay…
Caleb Williams
I did think he improved from Week 1 to Week 2. I feel encouraged by what I saw and hope we continue to see another jump this week.
Ben Johnson
