Throughout the NFL offseason, one major storyline dominated the conversation in Chicago.
Can new head coach Ben Johnson unlock the best version of Caleb Williams?
After making Williams the first-overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft, the rookie quarterback delivered an uneven performance during his initial NFL season. But with Johnson coming over from the Detroit Lions, and given what the new head coach did with Jared Goff as the offensive coordinator in the Motor City, expectations were high that Johnson could get more out of the young quarterback.
Early returns are rather positive.
Williams saw his first preseason action Sunday night against the Buffalo Bills, and completed 6-of-10 passes for 107 yards and a touchdown in Chicago’s 38-0 route of the Bills. While the standard preseason caveats apply (Buffalo was largely playing backups), Bears fans should be excited by what Williams did Sunday night.
Especially with how he did it.
What stood out watching Williams against the Bills is the timing and rhythm he showed in Johnson’s offense. At moments last year, Chicago’s offense was a disjointed mess, perhaps best described by our own JP Acosta as “two different offenses being joined together at random.” Instead of a well-timed machine, the Bears’ passing game was filled with stops and starts.
That was not the case on Sunday night.
Take this early completion to Cole Kmet:
This is a standard four verticals concept out of a 3×1 alignment, with the trips side of the formation to Williams’ left. Buffalo clouds the picture presnap, showing a single-high look with man coverage indicators across the board: Cornerbacks are parallel to the line of scrimmage, with their eyes on the receivers across from them.
But at the snap, Buffalo spins into a two-deep coverage, with the outside cornerback carrying those vertical routes along the boundaries. No matter. Williams reads this to perfection and splits the safeties on the bender route from Kmet.
The read and the throw are great, but look at the timing on this ball. Williams uses a three-step drop from shotgun, and right as he hits that third step, he hitches up to make this throw. No hesitation, no delays, no wasted time nor wasted movement in the pocket. This is a confident quarterback, trusting his read of the secondary and trusting his downfield target.
Williams’ touchdown pass came on a quick read and throw to Olamide Zaccheaus. Again, note the timing and rhythm on this catch-and-run touchdown:
This comes on a 3rd-and-5 situation, with Buffalo again showing man coverage and ten defenders near the line of scrimmage. After taking the shotgun snap, Williams flashes his eyes to the left for an instant, which influences the underneath linebacker a step or two in that direction. That is enough to create space for Zaccheaus’ inside break. Williams rips in a throw — again with pristine timing and rhythm — and the receiver is off to the races.
It is often argued that yardage after the catch (YAC) is, in part, a quarterback stat. If you want to make such a case, this is a good play to point to. The read, rhythm, and timing from Williams give Zaccheaus a window for the completion and a chance to make a defender miss after the catch.
For one more example of this idea consider this 3rd-and-5 play on Chicago’s next possession. This time, not only do the Bills show man coverage before the snap, but the linebackers are walked up in blitz posture.
Buffalo indeed brings pressure, but the Bears offensive line gives Williams just enough time to rip an anticipation throw on the out route to D.J. Moore out of the slot to move the chains. Anticipation throws are the quintessential example of the game “slowing down for a quarterback,” one of those rare cliches that matters when looking at younger passers.
Again, these are just three throws from Williams made against a group of backups from the Bills.
But if you are a Bears fan, these are the kinds of plays you have been waiting an entire offseason to see.
