Caleb Williams isn't enjoying much confidence from the national media. It is difficult to understand why at first glance. His numbers weren't bad: 3,500 yards, 20 touchdowns, and six interceptions. Many former #1 picks had far worse debuts. It feels like the pessimism comes from a few directions. Williams took 68 sacks last season. That leads many to believe he's incapable of getting the ball out fast enough to avoid pressure. Next, there was the ascent of Jayden Daniels in Washington. His electric rookie season made it easy to overlook what Williams accomplished. Last but not least, it's the Chicago Bears. They have a legacy of ruining quarterbacks.
Why should anybody have confidence this year will be different? Enter Luke Kuechly. The former Defensive Player of the Year and Carolina Panthers legend knows great quarterbacks. He faced some of the best in league history: Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers, and Matthew Stafford. If anybody is qualified to have an opinion on whether Williams can make it in the NFL, it's Kuechly. During an interview on Up & Adams, he gave specific details on why he feels the Bears quarterback will have a big season.
Caleb Williams was better on play action plays.
He had a higher passer rating (95.4 to 86.2) and completion percentage (64.2 to 62.1) than on regular passing plays. He also averaged significantly more yards per attempt at 8.3 to 5.9. Yet the Bears only had him throw on play action just 17.1% of his dropbacks. Meanwhile, Jared Goff threw them on 35.7% of his drops, posting a 121.0 passer rating in the process. Ben Johnson was lethal with the passing game. Kuechly is right. If he brings those same concepts to Chicago and can get the run game going, Caleb Williams stands to benefit without having to pull any Superman stuff. The quickest way to build confidence in a young quarterback is by making things as easy for him as possible.
