People Missed A Major Positive From Caleb Williams Vs. Houston

It was a tough night in Houston for Caleb Williams. He threw two costly interceptions that earned him some criticism. However, most don’t blame him for the game because he was pretty much running for his life all night. The Texans defense pressured him 36 times, sacking him seven times. It is almost impossible to play well under such conditions. That said, he did play better compared to his debut against Tennessee. He was poised and never seemed to panic. There was also something else noteworthy.

Throughout the game, it became clear that Williams had a lot of control at the line of scrimmage. He made adjustments and called protections, and longtime expert Nate Tice found examples of this.

Caleb Williams obviously didn’t have a good night, but the fact the Bears are letting him have FULL controls of protection – as a rookie on the road in his second career game – is a very good thing and one silver lining! https://t.co/UmrpEE1hbC

— Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) September 16, 2024

Can hear Caleb Williams changing the play here after IDing a slot pressure.

Gives "300 Jet", which is a standard six man protection.

Then you can hear him say "Twig", with a signal, with the Bears running a Stick concept. pic.twitter.com/ZMIbpzFFGH

— Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) September 16, 2024

Rest assured, this is not what you’d call normal for a rookie quarterback. Teams never give that much freedom to somebody unless they’re sure he has mastery of the verbiage and the calls. Matt Eberflus and Shane Waldron trusting Williams already is an excellent sign of his progress within the offense.

The next step for Caleb Williams is the blocks working.

Calling the right protections is one thing. The offensive linemen doing their jobs is another. It isn’t clear why the front five have struggled so much to start this season. They’re returning four starters from last year. There shouldn’t be this many miscommunications and mental lapses. Perhaps the problem lay with the change in the offensive scheme. Shane Waldron brought a brand new system with him from Seattle, one completely different from what Luke Getsy ran over the past two years. That can often lead to an adjustment period up front.

Whatever the case, Caleb Williams can’t take the next step until that problem gets resolved. The good news is he’s already mastering the intricacies of conducting an entire offense. He doesn’t seem overwhelmed by the information that needs processing. This was a problem that bedeviled many previous Bears quarterbacks. It is a reasonable assumption that if and when the protection gets better, the rookie will get to show how good he can be.