The Chicago Bears knew one of the biggest tests of the summer was at hand on Thursday. It marked a joint practice session with the Cincinnati Bengals. Head coach Matt Eberflus knew it was a priceless opportunity for his players to work against a different roster. Such experience is invaluable. Most importantly, it was a chance for Caleb Williams to get another taste of what he will see on Sundays as his NFL career unfolds. By the sound of things, the rookie quarterback didn’t flinch in the face of this new challenge.
Despite rainy conditions, Williams seems to have put together one of his best practices of the year. It didn’t start well. He threw an interception in 7-on-7 drills. However, things took a turn when the 11-on-11s started. The rookie hit Keenan Allen and D.J. Moore for touchdowns in red zone drills. Then he hit Allen again for another score on a long bomb. While the two-minute drill didn’t yield any results, it was an all-around good day for the Bears’ young quarterback against one of the NFL’s best-coached defenses.
Caleb Williams will see the Bengals again this weekend.
Eberflus stated after the practice that the starters will play in the preseason game on Saturday. This is a significant shift from last year. The Bears had joint practices against the Indianapolis Colts and didn’t play the starters that weekend. Either Eberflus feels doing that led to his player losing their edge, or he thinks one joint practice wasn’t enough real work. Either way, it’s more vital reps for Williams to continue sharpening his skills. Better still, he won’t have to do it against the Bengals’ starting defense. Head coach Zac Taylor already announced no Cincinnati starters would play in the game.
One can hardly blame them. The team was already dealing with injuries and apparently suffered two more in the practice. It was not a feel-good afternoon for them. Chicago couldn’t control the weather. They thought there was a window to work outside as planned. It didn’t last long. That didn’t seem to phase Caleb Williams. While Joe Burrow threw three interceptions against the Bears defense in team drills, he had three touchdowns. People can blame the conditions all they want. Give the rookie the credit he deserves.
Subscribe to the BFR Youtube channel and ride shotgun with Dave and Ficky as they break down Bears football like nobody else.
