Caleb Williams didn’t get off to a great start against the Cincinnati Bengals last weekend. He started 0-3 in the first series, and his first three drives resulted in punts. It was a frustrating first quarter that had many questioning if he was ready. Remember, the Cincinnati Bengals were running their primary backups on defense against the Bears’ starters. It wasn’t a great look. As it turns out, there was an explanation for why things looked so disjointed.
Williams’ helmet has a radio receiver in it, so he can hear plays called by offensive coordinator Shane Waldron. However, the equipment wasn’t working. Every time Waldron tried calling in a place, it would cut out, and Williams struggled to hear it. This forced him to make educated guesses on what to call. Two former players, punter Pat McAfee and linebacker A.J. Hawk, were impressed when learning about this. It wasn’t just because of how Williams handled the difficulties on the field but also after the game.
No excuses were made. People didn’t even learn about the issue until days later on Hard Knocks. It speaks to the quarterback’s maturity and professionalism.
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Caleb Williams is about results, not excuses.
That goes for himself as well as everybody else. He didn’t moan and groan when the equipment issues were happening. He assessed the situation and tried to make the most of it. Obviously his lack of experience with the offensive system made it difficult to get anything going. Still, he managed to keep the team out of trouble. There were no turnovers or bad sacks taken. Once things were fixed, the execution improved. Chicago scored 10 points in the second quarter, capped by a Williams touchdown run.
Make no mistake. There will be more instances where the Bears’ offense looks disjointed. That comes with the territory of having a new system helmed by a rookie quarterback. Even so, Caleb Williams showed he has the maturity and wherewithal to handle the ups and downs without panicking. Such characteristics are priceless in a quarterback. McAfee and Hawk would know. One played with Peyton Manning, and the other played with Aaron Rodgers. Impressing them for anything is not easy.
