Bear Digest

Caleb Williams invokes name of the GOAT in detailing final pass

What do Caleb Williams and Michael Jordan have in common? The Bears QB found something in describing his failed attempt to beat the Packers at game's end.
Gene Chamberlain|
Caleb Williams looks to do damage downfield against Green Bay last week.
Caleb Williams looks to do damage downfield against Green Bay last week. | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

Unfazed by his failure on the fourth-down interception at Green Bay, Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams is taking the attitude of “shooters shoot.”

Williams is going to keep firing away, and his confidence remains even after a 28-21 loss when he had the fate of the team in his hands on the last offensive play.

He even evoked the name—or at least the initials—of the GOAT in explaining this.

“In those moments, I feel like the ball should be in my hand,” Williams said Wednesday at Halas Hall. “That’s how I felt as a kid, that’s how I still feel today, that’s how I felt on Sunday in that moment. Feel great.

“It kind of goes to the MJ quote where he missed how(ever) many game winners and Kobe where he took the game winner versus the Jazz and all of them back then.”

Williams might have been mixing metaphors a bit. Michael Jordan hit the stone-cold O’Brien Trophy-winning shot against the Jazz. Kobe Bryant made shots against other teams.

“You’re going to take those shots and that’s the type of mindset I have that I’ll take those shots and I’ll roll with the punches if I do miss,” Williams said. “That’s what happened.”

Starting with Cleveland Sunday at Soldier Field, the Bears can't afford many more misses now or they'll be watching the playoffs on TV again.

Williams had Cole Kmet open and underthrew him, or threw it too late to him—or some would say he threw to the wrong person as DJ Moore was coming open.

“You move on from it and when that moment comes up again, I think nine times out of 10 that I’ll hit,” Williams said.  “That’s my mentality. That’s how I feel about it.”

Nine out of 10 seems a bit optimistic considering Williams has completed only 57.8% for th season, well down from his rookie year of 62.5% and nowhere near Ben Johnson’s assigned total of 70%/

“Just got to give Cole a better ball in that moment but other than that, roll with the punches if it doesn’t roll your way,” Williams said.

It’s an attitude Williams needs to have and, actually, was achieving earlier this season as he put together five game-winning drives in the fourth quarters of games.

Williams has strong enough confidence in himself in those situations. It’s the exact opposite situation where he’s struggling. His completion percentage and passer rating in the first quarter and first half this season have been atrocious.

He called it his goal to start faster, and see success earlier by envisioning success then.

“I always, I keep using these analogies and references and stuff, but it's just like sometimes you’re just seeing the first basket go in and getting your first completion and just kind of seeing the pass has been caught, whatever pass it is, whether it's a deep shot, intermediate, short, whatever,” he said. “Whatever it is, just finding that first completion and getting it into your receivers’ hands or the tight ends, whatever, and letting them go to work.”

He also thinks he has a problem with getting on a roll and then all of the sudden missing on one.

“And so it's just sharp, sharp, sharp focus, and sharpening my focus even more, and just making sure (I’m) starting fast and having a sharp focus from the beginning,” he said.

At this point, the Bears will have to trust him on the finishing touches as he has proven he can do those.

As for everything else, the proof will be apparent down the stretch.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.