Contrary to popular belief, not every beneficial thing that happens during a game results from a smart decision by the head coach or quarterback. They rise from unintended mistakes. The draw play, now a staple of NFL offenses, originated from a situation where a Cleveland Browns running back accidentally stumbled before a handoff, freezing the defense and leading to a long gain. Ben Johnson's famous Stumblebum trick play was inspired by Jordan Love stumbling after a snap against the Bears and hitting the resulting pass for a big gain. Caleb Williams prefers to avoid moments like that.
However, the young quarterback nearly ran into a disaster on Monday night. Washington had just gone up 24-16. The Bears were teetering on the edge of losing the game. They needed a score. Everybody remembers what happened next. On 3rd and 4 from his own 45-yard line, Williams hit D'Andre Swift on an outlet pass, and the running back took it 55 yards for a touchdown. The play saved the game for Chicago, and the quarterback admitted to Adam Jahns of CHGO that he came dangerously close to screwing it up.
Quarterback Caleb Williams admitted after the game that he “messed up” the play call.
“So great job to the guys, getting lined up in that situation and us being able to get something off and great job to Swift, ran a great route,” Williams said. “His eyes got around and had a lot of space. I wanted him to get the ball early so he could make a play in space, which he does best.”
When did the Bears get the play right?
“We ended up fixing it when the ball got snapped,” Williams said.
Caleb Williams showed his awareness and composure in that situation.
It is fair to wonder if he'd have had the wherewithal to make that last-second adjustment a year ago. Odds are he would've run the wrong play, it would've misfired, and the Bears would've had to punt. Caleb Williams didn't panic. He recognized the problem, quickly got the offense into the right play, and knew exactly what he wanted to do at the snap. Washington was crowding the line of scrimmage. D.J. Moore and Olamide Zaccheaus were bunched together on the left. That meant Swift would have some space to work with if he got the ball quickly enough. Hence why Williams made sure to unload it immediately.
No moment better epitomizes his growth as a quarterback. Good ones can see the game at high speeds before the snap. Williams didn't let his initial blunder spiral out of control. He trusted the play call, got the alignment right, and put the ball where it was supposed to go. Touchdown. That play reversed momentum in an instant, giving the Bears just enough of a window to steal the game a few minutes later.
