Now it is possible that Caleb Williams was just being polite. The Chicago Bears quarterback has never been known for being malicious. He’s always come across as respectful to opponents. He shakes their hands, offers praise in the media, and so on. However, we also know that Williams has a reputation for being a massive troll. His shredding of a block of cheese after beating the Green Bay Packers in the playoffs was glaring proof of that. It’s why what the quarterback did right after the Bears’ 59-37 romp of the Carolina Panthers was more than a little cutthroat.
As the two teams walked onto the field to shake hands after the game, Williams found Panthers head coach Dave Canales for a hug. They exchanged an initial hug and pleasantries. Then the quarterback added one last comment.
“Y’all are a great defense man.”
Again, Williams might’ve just been trying to be nice. Yet to say something like that, literally minutes after dropping 59 points on their heads, feels a little cheeky. It’s doubtful he went into that exchange planning to troll Canales like that, but the intent seemed pretty clear.
Caleb Williams likely knows the truth about that game.
The Panthers have a bunch of good players. This was never in question. Derrick Brown, Devin Lloyd, Jaycee Horn, and Jaelan Phillips make up a solid core of talent. Unfortunately, it wasn’t nearly enough. Williams and head coach Ben Johnson had them in a blender all day. The scariest thing is that, as bad as allowing 59 points was, it could easily have been much worse. Don’t forget the Bears were flagged 12 times in the game and turned it over on the opening drive. Just imagine what the score might’ve been had those setbacks not gotten in the way.
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In truth, this game was less about how bad the Panthers’ defense was and how good the Bears’ offense was. Everybody knew this team had firepower. What they never quite grasped was just how deep the talent pool is. So many different guys made plays. Caleb Williams hit seven different receivers during the game. Colston Loveland, their most dangerous weapon, was not one of them. That is another reason this group is so terrifying. If this is how good they are when things aren’t fully clicking, then what are we in store for?
The Panthers will have better days.
They have too much talent not to improve. This game was more of an affirmation of how good the Bears have become. Signs were already appearing down the stretch last season that this offense was evolving. Head coach Ben Johnson insisted all summer that the group was practicing so well in training camp. It is why he seemed so optimistic about the upcoming season. They were finally practicing like a “championship-caliber” team. Hanging 59 points in the opener is about as strong an affirmation as you’ll get.
Williams certainly did his part. He finished with 334 total yards and 4 combined touchdowns. He also completed 72% of his passes. If this version of him remains consistent throughout the season, then the rest of the NFL should be very afraid. We’re talking 2018-2022 Patrick Mahomes-level stuff. That is how talented he is and how stacked the offensive roster has become.
