Ex-player's Caleb Williams analysis could be good news for Vikings

Former Dolphins tackle Terron Armstead noted that Williams needs to improve his pressure recognition, which sounds like an area Brian Flores can exploit.

Nov 24, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Minnesota Vikings linebacker Jonathan Greenard (58) sacks Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) during the second quarter at Soldier Field. | Daniel Bartel-Imagn Images

A former NFL Pro Bowler's observation about Caleb Williams should have Brian Flores and the Vikings licking their chops ahead of the regular season opener in Chicago on September 8.

Recently-retired Dolphins offensive tackle Terron Armstead, who watched Williams up close during Miami's joint practices with the Bears earlier this month, gave a very interesting quote about the second-year quarterback on his podcast, as highlighted in a recent Williams feature story from ESPN's Courtney Cronin.

"Caleb's process playing that quarterback position has to improve, and pretty fast, in my opinion. On a consistent basis, Caleb was not able to recognize where he was in danger. He wasn't feeling pressure, he wasn't feeling blitzes. He wasn't seeing blitzes pre-snap."

Terron Armstead

That specific piece of analysis could bode well for the Vikings. No team has blitzed at a higher rate than the Vikings have over the past two seasons under Flores. And it's not just the quantity of their blitzes, it's the complexity and deception with which they bring them. Flores will align his players in all kinds of creative ways, and anyone is a threat to either rush the passer or to drop into coverage from basically any spot on the field. He wants to make the picture as complicated as possible for opposing quarterbacks to decipher, both before and after the snap.

Cronin's story details Williams' growth process under new head coach Ben Johnson, whose complex scheme led to some struggles for Williams and the Bears' offense early in training camp. Things improved over the course of camp, but the newness of Johnson's offense could create some inconsistency and sloppiness early in the season for Chicago. That would be good news for Flores and the Vikings, who will do everything they can to put Williams' mastery of the scheme to the test in Week 1. If he can't correctly identify the Vikings' blitzes, he could be in for a long night at Soldier Field.

Williams showed flashes of upside as a rookie last year, but a big issue was that he led the NFL with 68 sacks taken. He did play well in a pair of losses against the Vikings, completing 64 percent of his passes for 531 yards, three touchdowns, and no picks. He was only sacked five times in those games. But the 2025 Vikings defense could be even better than last year's elite unit after the additions of Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave to the interior pass rush.

This is going to be a fascinating regular season opener on Monday Night Football.