Bear Digest

Shane Waldron Takes Blame for Three-and-Outs from Caleb Williams

Bears offensive coordinator stands up for Caleb Williams by taking the blame for Saturday's start but sees better things ahead based on his QB's ability to quickly pick up the NFL game.

Gene Chamberlain

Caleb Williams leaves the field Saturday after overcoming a slow start for a 27-3 win over Cincinnati.
Caleb Williams leaves the field Saturday after overcoming a slow start for a 27-3 win over Cincinnati. / Daniel Bartel-USA TODAY Sports
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Not only does Caleb Williams possess the uncanny ability to hit targets well downfield by throwing with his right arm on the run to his left, but he also comprehends a pretty good game too.

Bears players on offense and coordinator Shane Waldron think this, and when it's put together with Williams' knack for making unscripted plays they say it all adds up to a situation where he is well ahead of where they could have hoped for this point in his development.

"Being a rookie quarterback, I can't imagine the pressure that is on him but going through an NFL install from training camp to now, leading up to Week 1, just seeing him handle it, roll with the punches, is a sight to see," tight end Gerald Everett said. "Watching him perform on Saturday was also a sight to see.

"Rolling out, pocket presence, vision down the field, hitting Rome (Odunze) in stride. I can't say enough about Caleb. I'm sure he will be even more exciting in the future." 

Williams' comprehension and communication are keys to this possibility according to Waldron.

"If he' not seeing it clearly or something like that, that's where you really need to go back and go through it, but he sees it clearly, can really talk about different windows," Waldron said. "And also from the quarterback's lens is totally different than what you see from the stands lens or the coach on the sideline lens, that ground level where was the defender exactly at when you hit the top of your drop.

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"And he easily can clearly articulate every one of those points in regards to the space or what happened on a play."

The off-script pass to Odunze for 45 yards was an example of something Waldron has seen repeatedly in practice on extended plays.

"And then what's pretty cool to watch is when the play breaks down, it almost seems like it's in slow motion for him and he can find a different rush lane, being smart with the ball, breaking contain and creating some explosives down the field," Waldron said.

The big worry with Williams heading into his first season has always been not using the offense enough and ad-libbing too much based on what he did at USC last year.

"For us with him, it's about finding the balance of those two things and I think he's doing a good job of progressing with that and ... feeling out what are those windows?" Waldron said. "What are the windows that are too tight to fit it in?

"Or what are the windows that are legit completions before getting into potential scramble modes?"

So if Williams is such a genius handling the offense and reading the defense, and also has natural arm ability difficult to imagine, how is it the Bears went three-and-out three consecutive possessions at the game's outset against Cincinnati's backups?

Waldron sought to shield his QB here by absorbing blame.

"I think starting with me, putting the guys in the best position to have a fast start right there, something we talked about on offense," Waldron said. "Obviously, we're not looking to go three three-and-outs to start a game out. Defense did a great job of holding strong right there and allowing us to get into a rhythm with that fourth drive right there and then leading into the second half.

"It really just starts with me putting guys in position to start fast, play efficient football, get some more runs, be a little more balanced and we’ll be better with that moving forward."

Either that or simply let Williams heave it downfield across his body 45 yards.

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.