Caleb Williams has had a rough past couple of weeks. He's completed under 50% of his passes for 348 yards and no touchdowns. The only solace is he's managed to avoid any interceptions, but it's clear something is off. People wonder if he is regressing. His deep ball has been almost non-existent most of the season. Is he just not getting it? No. Former Pro Bowl quarterback Alex Smith made that crystal clear to Kyle Brandt of Good Morning Football. Williams has shown tons of promise. Chicago Bears fans must stay patient as he keeps learning the pro game. The bigger problem is the entire structure around him.
They don't seem to have any cohesion or identity from a scheme point of view. That confusion makes life harder for Williams and leads to the ongoing lack of success. Until the Bears figure out how to work to the strengths of their players, their young quarterback won't find a groove.
Alex Smith has been in Caleb Williams' shoes.
The two have a lot in common. Both came out of the Pac-12 (Smith went to Utah). Both were #1 overall picks. To top it off, both were brought in under defensive coaches. Smith was under Mike Nolan in San Francisco. Those early years were a nightmare. In his first six seasons, he went through two head coaches and five offensive coordinators. He was sacked 128 times and threw more interceptions (53) than touchdowns (51). Most people thought he was a bust. However, Smith persevered. Then, in 2011, Jim Harbaugh arrived. The quarterback finally got things going, made an NFC championship, got traded to Kansas City, and became a three-time Pro Bowler.
If he could manage that, there is no reason to panic over Caleb Williams. The kid has the same competitive spirit, resiliency, and talent. It becomes a question of whether the Bears can find that coach who can put the right structure around him.
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