Former Vikings LB Gives Brian Flores a Caleb Williams Blueprint

Caleb Williams proved in Week 1 during a 59-37 win over the Panthers that year three might be the best yet for the Bears quarterback. Williams' 334 all-purpose yards and four all-purpose touchdowns has former Vikings linebacker Chad Greenway conceding that the dual-purpose signal-caller will have an effect on the game's outcome in Week 2 between Minnesota and Chicago.

Still, Greenway thinks Williams isn't perfect and can be successfully game-planned against if Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores blitzes with great care.

“Caleb Williams in this running game and his ability to make an impact run out of the back end, and I don’t know that I’ve seen a more instinctive quarterback when it comes to feeling and understanding pressure,” Greenway said.

“Now, not perfect, but he’s so athletic that he can find it, wiggle, and find those little spots to get out of it. You have to rush him really smart. When you bring pressure, you’ve got to be able to cage him in and try to reduce those lanes, and then another factor is if you spy him, now you take somebody out of coverage, and now you have a bunch of one-on-ones, or you have a zone with one less guy, and it affects the passing game. Caleb Williams’ athleticism is going to affect this game and the outcome, obviously, no question about it.”

Ben Johnson's Offense Could Give Brian Flores Fits

Flores admitted this past week that Williams is a superstar, but he also gave credit to Ben Johnson for the offense he runs that brings it all together for the Bears. Plus the robust rushing attack led by D'Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai, whom Johnson uses both in his "Pony" packages to have multiple backfield threats on the field at the same time. Their shared presence could help neutralize some of Flores's riskier schemes.

Flores noted the other shifts and motions Johnson's disguises his play-calls pre-snap with. He noted this won't be an easy matchup against such a versatile offense in Week 2 on the road. No team is more unpredictable in short-yardage situations, and practically none are as deadly in short-passing plays out of the backfield.

The inclement weather may give Flores a reprieve. The expected rain and stormy conditions should help slow Williams and the running back room some.

Still, if there's anyone who's built to overcome that, it's Johnson, who is a fan of playing in bad weather.

Brian Flores Brings Challenging Unpredictable Defense

Johnson shared respect for what Flores has brought to the NFC North for three years now: unpredictability. Flores uses amoeba fronts, simulated pressures, and Cover-0 structures to confuse quarterbacks and centers pre-snap.

Johnson believes that you can't predict what Flores brings, but simply try to have an answer for everything. Flores's heavy blitz rate in Week 1 against the Packers may set up a more base rush-heavy game plan for the Vikings defense this Sunday.

Both he and Williams will need to be ready for a defense that will load the box to slow down the run in the rain. They'll need to avoid being predictable themselves, though Swift gives them the versatility not to be.

Williams is a different passer against a four-man rush compared to blitzes, owning a 76.4% completion percentage and a staggering 144.3 passer rating against the blitz. Meanwhile, Williams' 0.19 EPA per dropback against the blitz drops to a -0.59 EPA per dropback when defenses do not blitz.

Flores loves to blitz, but doing so hastily against Williams could be a deadly mistake for Minnesota. Meanwhile, Johnson's offense is aggressive, playing into the Vikings' turnover-hunting tendencies.

There are many games within this Vikings-Bears game on Sunday. It has all the makings to be cinema.

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