Former Exec Argues Caleb Williams Debut Was Better Than People Think

Caleb Williams received lots of criticism for his opening day performances. Going 14-of-29 for 93 yards isn’t exactly a stellar start for a #1 overall pick. That is hardly surprising. People always expect instant results, even if that is unreasonable for a young quarterback who has never played in the NFL before—almost every quarterback taken #1 overall struggles in their first few games as rookies. However, one former NFL executive was quick to defend Williams’ performance. He believes it wasn’t nearly as bad as people claim.

Greg Gabriel was a former scouting director for the Bears and worked inside the league for decades. He rewatched the game and came away with two conclusions. Williams was three plays away from having a really good game, and his interior pass protection was a complete mess.

“Caleb Williams was probably a few plays away from a mediocre game being a good game. He missed a wide-open Keenan Allen on a double move, Allen dropped a sure TD pass, and Caleb bobbled the snap on what would have been a quick pass to DJ Moore that was set up to be a big gainer.

The Bears’ interior offensive line had problems blocking the Titans’ interior defensive line. The reality is that the Titans’ defensive tackles are as good as any group in the League and perhaps the biggest set of tackles in the League.

Like with most sports, NFL football is about matchups, and the Bears clearly did not match up well with the Tennessee interior defensive line.”

Caleb Williams managed to avoid one crucial thing.

One thing almost universal with young quarterbacks in their first starts is turnovers. While the big plays never materialized, Williams did manage to protect the football. This allowed the defense to keep the game close until a pair of fortuitous touchdowns catapulted the Bears to a comeback victory. If you watch the game, Williams actually made primarily good decisions. The ball went to the right spot. It was a case of the passes not always being accurate and the defense getting their hands on others.

It never felt like he was seeing ghosts out there, which is something people dread. He didn’t get overwhelmed. Caleb Williams did what he could not to lose the game for the Bears in the absence of winning it for them. That is a sign of a mature quarterback. Everybody is already raising the alarms. Maybe the kid isn’t as good as hoped. That is honestly hilarious. Judging a career off of one game has always proven true, right? The goal for Chicago is stacking games together, letting Williams continue learning. As he grows more comfortable on the field, the results should improve. Patience is required.