That Caleb Williams column by Tyler Dunne didn’t paint Caleb Williams in the best light, raising serious concerns about whether the quarterback has the necessary mental faculties to play in the NFL. His opener on Monday night against Minnesota didn’t do anything to quiet those criticisms. After a great first drive of the game, Williams spent most of the remaining four quarters struggling to do anything. While he didn’t take a bevy of sacks like last year, the alarming part was how inaccurate he was.
Williams sailed far too many passes all night, demonstrating a lack of accuracy at all levels. Head coach Ben Johnson gave him some big opportunities throughout the game, but the quarterback just couldn’t hit them. This miss to D.J. Moore in the fourth quarter was one of the most consequential of the game.
These are passes professional quarterbacks should hit 90% of the time. Williams didn’t just miss. It wasn’t even close. It was like that most of the night. Putting up 17 points at home is unacceptable. Williams finished 21-of-35, good for a 60% completion percentage, far below Johnson’s desired 70%.
Caleb Williams looked unsure.
That was the frustrating part. He had months to prepare for that game. He’d already seen much of what Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores does. Johnson is a quality play-caller. Things started beautifully. It was inexcusable for Caleb Williams to regress like that. Conversations have already begun on social media. Fans can’t help but notice many of the same issues that haunted Williams at times last season. They’re starting to wonder if this is something he won’t grow out of.
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Nobody disputes his toughness or God-given talent. The core issue is processing speed. Johnson’s offense requires the quarterback to handle lots of information quickly. Williams again seemed overwhelmed at times, resulting in late throws. Now it’s the first game of the season. It is a brand-new offense. Williams will get a grace period, and he should. Still, if these problems persist in October and November, the calls for a change will get louder.
