Bear Digest

Short Passing Game for Caleb Williams Also Matters Says Shane Waldron

Tracking the Bears at Camp: The inability of the offense to get the ball downfield in big chunks wasn't necessarily a bad thing as Caleb Williams worked the short game well.

Gene Chamberlain

Travis Homer and other backs were worked into the passing game extensively Wednesday as the defense fell back deep.
Travis Homer and other backs were worked into the passing game extensively Wednesday as the defense fell back deep. / Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
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Pay little attention to those catastrophes on deep passes Bears quarterback Caleb Williams had, says Bears offensive coordinator Shane Waldron.

It’s the little things that count.

Williams went through another up-and-down practice, the up coming early with two deep pass completions in one-on-one to Rome Odunze and 7-on-7 success to Odunze and Keenan Allen.

The down occurred later when they went to full-squad scrimmage and two-minute drill. First safety Kevin Byard intercepted Williams on a deep pass and then cornerback Jaylon Johnson would have had another but couldn’t hang on to a relatively easy downfield pick. Finally, the two-minute drill went backward with a sack being declared when Williams held the ball too long.

“Yeah, I saw D'Andre Swift, Khalil Herbert, Travis Homer, you know I can go through a group of those explosive plays,” Waldron said.

Those backs’ explosive plays all came on dump-downs or screens during practice. Swift’s came on a one-hander on a screen that he turned upfield with a quick burst behind a wall of blockers. The other two came on shorter throws that quickly broke wide open for long catch-and-run opportunities.

The point being made by Bagent is the big gains don’t all come on throws 30 to 50 yards downfield and even if the shorter ones don’t break, the smaller gains are critical in mounting drives.

”And so I'm feeling good about those knowing that some of those shots down the field, didn't connect on some of those but the thing we love and shows up in the Hall of Fame game, you know, when you talk about different points in training camp and guys that get the ball in their hand and run-after-catchability and to me those are the things that really come to life as the offense grows in the games,” Waldron said.

Moving the chains has value, even if Waldron’s Seahawks offenses were all either bottom of the league or next to last in time of possession.

“In practice, you know, not getting frustrated if we don't connect on a deep shot knowing, hey, we stretched the defense vertically right there but then we can come back and play efficient football, connect drives together and then get the ball in our playmakers' hands,” Waldron said.

He also pointed out the failure on deep passes doesn’t always trace back to Williams.

“So for us as an offense that's what we're striving to get all 11 (contributing) every single time we get to one of those deeper shot plays and giving us a chance,” Waldron said. “And like Caleb did today, Tyson (Bagent) did a great job of it today, the defense puts an umbrella over the coverage structure right there, (it’s about) finding a check-down, finding a completion and staying efficient.”

Lining Up

The offensive didn’t get guard Nate Davis back at scrimmage Wednesday. He continued to practice on a limited basis. However, they also had right tackle Darnell Wright go out during practice and he didn’t return. Wright had been coming back from injury. Larry Borom took over at right tackle

The defense continued playing without starting defensive lineman Montez Sweat but defensive tackle Andrew Billings was able to return for a limited practice, no scrimmaging involved. Safety Jaquan Brisker, cornerback Tyrique Stevenson and cornerback Kyler Gordon all remained out of practice.

A few new players joined those working on stationary bikes and missing practice from the offensive side. Thursday’s offensive hero Collin Johnson is out with an injury and so is running back Roschon Johnson.

Cornerback Terell Smith left during practice with an upper body injury of some type. Greg Stroman Jr. replaced him since Smith was already with starters because of an injury to Stevenson.

Keeping It Blocked

Matt Eberflus had tied the possible start by Williams in Saturday’s preseason game at Buffalo to a healthy and effective offensive line. So are they healthy enough and is this even something they need to worry about?

Waldron didn’t seem so certain Williams would be at risk with some subs playing.

In fact, he might gain from the experience.

“I think it helps with his communication, it lets him learn different guys, his players that are around him, you know, what the different styles are, how to communicate with those guys inevitably in a game knowing that hey, there might be different players that play throughout the season,” Waldron said.

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It’s Practice, Man

Veteran edge DeMarcus Walker thwarted the final first-team two-minute drive with a sack, and the offense couldn’t come back from third-and-long. As soon as Walker got the whistle, he took his helmet off in celebration and was chirping. In a game, he’d have had a 15-yard penalty for taking his helmet off and the offense would have had an automatic first down for the offense. … The offense did get a false start but the defense got caught twice for offsides penalties in a bit of a reversal of the trend. … Odunze had fans roaring with four receptions within a short span of time, two on deeper passes during one-on-one.  … More running plays for Velus Jones Jr. and one around end broke for more than 20 yards.  

Hall of Famer

The ball from the first kickoff Thursday by Cairo Santos last was retained for the Pro Football Hall of Fame because it was the first kicked with the new kickoff rules in effect.

Santos sudden went from kicking off with teammates around him to kicking off by himself, and found it a bit of a lonely experience.

“It was weird, it was very different,” Santos said. “We've been repping a lot during practice so it's (like) we're used to that feeling. But usually we're in the huddle on the sideline with (special teams coordinator Richard) Hightower and going over which direction for the kick and all that.

“But if that happens now, they're at the 40-yard line and he tells me beforehand. So no, I don't get to break with the team. But it was good feeling the timing of everything and how the play is going to go down feels a lot more normal than it did back in the spring.”

Interested Fan

Santos, a Brazilian, said he wishes he could be in Brazil for the first NFL game ever played there, one between the Packers and Eagles to start the season on a Friday night.

“It's too close (to the season’s start,”. I'm too scared to even ask Coach Flus. The game's on a Friday and I'd have to miss a practice or two and there's just no way that's possible. But I'll be watching since it's at night.”

Twitter: Bears On SI

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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.