Bear Digest

Caleb Williams Learning More About Value of the Checkdown

He's no 'Checkdown Charlie' but Bears quarterback Caleb Williams is figuring out how to find his shorter receivers under the coverage instead of going deep all the time.

Gene Chamberlain

Caleb Williams checks it down to a shorter receiver in the win by the Bears over the Rams.
Caleb Williams checks it down to a shorter receiver in the win by the Bears over the Rams. / David Banks-Imagn Images
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No quarterback wants to become a Checkdown Charlie, the guy who immediately abandons hope on deeper routes to throw it to a sure thing with a receiver under the coverage.

Caleb Williams is welcoming the checkdown into his game, though, after it helped him get through a 24-18 win over the Rams. He had room to welcome Charlie into his repertoire.

"When I was in college, I think that was a knock on my game," Williams said Wednesday at Halas Hall. "I think everybody wanted to say I don't take checkdowns and things like that. But you also have to adapt to the team. You also have to adapt to the situation.

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"It's always a growing and learning process, and I think I've done, I would say, a pretty solid job of finding checkdowns and understanding that game is so huge for us and our offense and keeping us on the football field. So with me doing that and all of that, I think it's been important for us. I think it's something I've gotten better with obviously. And also I know that when you can steal first downs, which is what checkdowns do, it helps out tremendously in the long run of the game."

It's all part of the less outrageous, more calculated and maturing version of Williams--if such a thing is possible even after only four games. At least he sees this as the case.

For Williams, it's not a humble pill to swallow if it means he can lead wins.

"I think for me it's understanding what we need as a team right now in the moment which is no turnovers, protecting the football and then being smart with the football," Williams said. "Regardless of what the score is, first half or anything like that, all of our games have come down to the wire.

"So understanding that and if I can not turn the ball over and find a way to get those extra points, those extra three points, that extra seven, removing those interceptions, it helps the team in a long way. And I think honestly, just getting more comfortable, you learn from all your mistakes and that's what I've been doing. Those interceptions, those messed up plays that I may have had, the rookie mistakes as they call them, just learning from those as fast as possible. Not hanging my head for too long."

The ability to recognize what's left for him by the defense is huge.

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"There's coverages that take away deep and then there's coverages that take away more of the intermediate," coach Matt Eberflus said. "You've gotta be able to see and discern what that is post-snap.

"Teams do a great job of disguising, so it's important that he reads that post-snap and then is able to understand where the ball goes. He's done a good job of that."

Williams is averaging only 5.6 yards per pass attempt, which is not going to beat many teams in the NFL. There some quarterbacks who do it right, though. In Bears history, Steve Walsh nickel-and-dimed the 1994 Bears into the playoffs. Shane Matthews was a classic underneath thrower.

Williams isn't going to be that extreme. He just wants to avoid mistakes and give teammates the chance to handle the ball.

"I think guys playing well around him is still important," Eberflus said. "That always is important for us to be able to do that, defensively, special teams and at the skill set and also the line level on offense. It's important that we keep doing that."

Checking it down might make for fewer big plays. The Bears could definitely use more of those as they've had fewer "big plays" -- runs of 10 yards or more and passes of 20 yards or more -- than any team in the league. Throwing it short isn't going to improve this.

'Every quarterback wants a big play, but if it's not there or they can't see it, the checkdown's going to be open because everybody else is downfield," wide receiver DJ Moore said. "So, I mean, you never go broke taking a profit. That's what my (receivers) coach says, so that's what we're living by and I get it."

At least until they can figure out how to get the deeper throws to work, it needs to be the way they go.

Twitter: BearsOnSI

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

BearDigest.com publisher 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.