Caleb Williams Learned A New Trick And It's Driving The Defense Nuts

The Chicago Bears defense is no joke. If people weren't sure of that before, they proved it in the joint practice against the Cincinnati Bengals by intercepting Joe Burrow three times. Now, maybe critics will go a little easier on Caleb Williams for not having great days against them in training camp. Everybody is panicking over the lack of consistency from the offense. Yet, upon seeing what happened in Buffalo last week, it's fair to say the Bears defense is a much more formidable opponent than onlookers realized.

It would be one thing to accept this reality and take his lumps. Williams, though, is not that type of player. He has a reputation for being ultra-competitive. Thus, it stands to reason he'd search for any possible way to give the defense more of a challenge. Based on the most recent practices, the quarterback found one such method.

One of the advantages the defense had through early camp was knowing when the snap was coming. That allowed them to time their rushes, making it easier to get heat on Williams. The rookie suddenly makes that impossible by responding with a hard count because they can't predict when the snap comes. Otherwise, it's a costly five-yard penalty.

Caleb Williams is already starting to operate like a veteran.

Keep in mind that Mitch Trubisky didn't learn how to use the hard count until well into his second season. Justin Fields never really mastered it. The fact that Williams is already using it effectively in his first training camp should tell you about his level of preparation. From there, look at his work in the preseason game against Buffalo. His pocket footwork was strong. He gave full effort in his hand-offs and play-fakes. Williams even extended the ball away from him while scrambling to his right to make sure he wasn't stripped. It's all about the details.

It shouldn't be a surprise Caleb Williams wanted to master the hard count. His favorite quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, is one of the best in NFL history at it. The Bears were victims of it numerous times. How fitting that a fan of the Packers legend brings a similar mentality to Chicago. It will be interesting to see how much the team trusts Williams to use it. While they want their quarterback to have freedom within the offense, a hard count can be difficult to execute because your other offensive players must stay still.

Just imagine how Bears fans will erupt when he hits it for the first time.