Even Bills Players Were Stunned How Good Caleb Williams Was

The Chicago Bears have spent months working to get Caleb Williams ready. Head coach Matt Eberflus made it clear from day one that the rookie would be the starter. He's the #1 pick. No competition. No veteran mentor. The car was his. He would have to learn how to drive it as quickly as possible. To that end, the coaching staff laid out a plan to prepare him. It involved throwing the entire playbook at him right away while also practicing against the starting defense every day. There was no easing into this thing.

Based on reports from training camp, the process was a bumpy one. Williams would have really good stretches but, for the most part, struggled to find any traction in team drills. That left many wondering what to expect in his first action on Saturday against the Buffalo Bills. What they got was a pleasant surprise. The #1 overall pick looked in total control, going 4-of-7 for 95 yards with two dropped passes, a 13-yard scramble for a first down, and two scoring drives. Albert Breer of the MMQB asked Bills defenders about what they saw during that sequence.

Their responses tell a clear story.

A couple of Bills guys I talked to were pretty impressed with what they were faced with in Chicago Bears QB Caleb Williams—one went so far as to call him “the real deal.” In particular, his command in the huddle, pocket awareness, poise, accuracy and instincts stood out to them, which showed both growth, and that pieces of his collegiate game are translating quickly.

Caleb Williams passed his first test.

He only made one bad decision the entire game. It came on the throw to Rome Odunze deep inside Bears territory, which was almost intercepted. An illegal contact bailed him out, but he must learn to curb his aggressive tendencies back up so close to the goal line. Other than that, every throw made was put in a spot where only his guys had a shot at it. He also seemed to show the proper footwork and mechanics in the run game. He worked hard to sell fakes. Then, when the situation called for it, he put that Superman cape on to make a play.

Bears fans can't ask for much more than that. Getting teammates and coaches excited is one thing. For Caleb Williams to immediately draw the intrigue of his opponents says a lot. What he did in that game wasn't only about his talent. He showed all the signs of somebody who could play the position as a professional. That was the key thing. If he could learn to execute from the pocket, there was no limit to how good he could become. If he's this far along already, the Bears are in great shape.