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Caleb Williams Staying Afloat Even Through Constant Receiver Change

Caleb Williams went through plateaus the past few weeks due to a couple of different reasons, but he's maintaining focus even as receivers he throws to keep changing.
Gene Chamberlain|
Caleb Williams is maintaining a smile even while it's not always easy throwing to numerous different targets due to injuries.
Caleb Williams is maintaining a smile even while it's not always easy throwing to numerous different targets due to injuries. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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Chicago Bears

To Bears coach Ben Johnson, quarterback
Caleb Williams seemed to plateau a bit after a hot start to training camp.

It's easy to understand why, and in a late, physical, Tuesday practice he appeared to be riding the up elevator again despite some earlier consistency issues. It isn't easy maintaining a good, steady flow of production when the receivers are changing each day due to injuries, and Williams seems to have made the adjustment whether it's all due to injuries or another factor.

“He’s done a really good job," Johnson said. "I mean, he came out of the gate hot there. Those first four practices I thought were really, really good, and then as the volume has continued to go up – and it's my fault as much as anything, just because I think I've put in more this year on offense than I did a year ago by design. I just, I want it to feel like a lot right now – that there's been a level of plateau up to this point.

"Now that things will slow down from an installation point, I think we're going to see him continue to go on the upswing.”

How it could get better

Consistency with receivers would help even more. First he was throwing to Rome Odunze and Luther Burden, with Kalif Raymond mixed in some. Then Burden went down and it was Raymond and Zavion Thomas. Thomas has what isn't a serious injury but can't practice right now. Williams was throwing effectively instead to Odunze, Raymond and second-year undrafted receiver Jahdae Walker. Then again, that whole missing pieces routine works both ways as the defense has had to cope with more than its share of injuries.

"I know we have a couple guys down at different positions throughout offense, defense, things like that, even special teams obviously with a bunch of offensive and defensive guys being down," Williams said. "So it’s good being able to see guys step up and make plays because that’s what is going to have to happen throughout the year. You play 17 promised games and that doesn’t mean that every single game everybody is going to play.

"So being able to see the guys step up and have that mentality, that I’m gonna go out there and make plays and some guys made plays today and it was exciting to see and we’re going to keep chugging along."

The long haul

In the key sequence to Tuesday's situational work, Williams faced a 99-yard field and needed two timeouts to kill off the clock for a win. He didn't like what he saw from in his end zone. Never one who needs to be coaxed out of the pocket, he rolled a bit right and found Rome Odunze for a 58-yard gain.

On the next play, Williams went 27 yards downfield over the middle to Scotty Miller. Two plays and they nearly went the length of the field when they needed only to get two first downs for the win. They'll take it. The situation work helps greatly.

"Obviously, game week you dice it up throughout each day but being able to get a script and it was plays that we've gone over for the past, how long have we been in camp?" Williams asked. "Two weeks now, I guess? Two weeks. It's being able to just kind of go back over those plays mentally, just the small details. Whether I got to tell offensive line something specifically when I get up to the line of scrimmage, I got to tell wide receiver, we got to change protections or get to cover-zero, Just having a plan.

"And I think I've gotten stronger with that throughout this time, this year. So I definitely want to keep growing. And other than that, I just I want to keep getting better for the guys. I want to be faster with my process, to be able to help the O-line throughout you know long games and things like that, they're sitting in their stances, be able to get the communication throughout, you know whether it's on the ball or whether it's in the huddle, just be smoother and faster and everything so that I can be better for the guys and ultimately that helps us win."

Johnson sees more than just playing to the situations.

"I love the process he has right now," Johnson said. "I mean, he's coming in early. He's staying late after practice, getting extra reps with the route runners, he's taken complete control of what we're trying to do, and so we're on the right track.”

It's all positive

There is no negative side to any of this. Williams has seemed to grown into the role even more than he did at the end of last year. He said after last season he felt in training camp like he was downing. Now he's able to handle the change he faces daily because of system knowledge. He's not going under.

"I'm head above water," Williams said. "I'm able to get new plays in and be able to go, you know, execute them in a positive manner, I would say better than I have in my past."

Williams said he's handling mistakes better when he does make one or if someone else does.

"And then just being able to encourage myself, being able to get out of those funks where it may take a whole drive for me to you know come to the sideline, you know, get out of it, try to get out of it one or two plays. Maybe after a bad play or you know I messed up on something or we jumped offsides and you know I get frustrated, but I think I've done a better job of that, and I've been more comfortable with that."

The quest for consistency goes on, and it might help to have his regular targets in place for more than a practice or two. However, considering Luther Burden's injury will keep him out until the regular season, Williams will simply have to get used to the Walkers, Millers and even the occasional Kaden Davis.

A year ago at this time, it was the kind of disruption that could have led to a QB drowning.

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Published
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.

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