Ex-NFL quarterback crafts insightful breakdown of Caleb Williams’ debut originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
Bears rookie Caleb Williams didn’t stand out in his NFL debut against the Titans.
In reality, the defense and special teams stood out. They scored two touchdowns from a Jonathan Owens scoop-and-score off a blocked punt and a Tyrique Stevenson pick-six touchdown.
Williams finished 14-of-29 passing for 93 yards, zero touchdowns and zero interceptions. He finished with a 23.5 QBR and 55.7 passer rating; not strong signals of a solid game from the rookie.
Former NFL quarterback J.T. O’Sullivan — the creator of “The QB School” YouTube channel — crafted an interesting film breakdown of Williams’ game. It’s a difficult game to dissect, as blame is shared around the offense. But O’Sullivan does a great job telling fans what’s happening in each play.
Check it out.
One thing O’Sullivan pointed out that felt evident from Williams’ game was his play extensions. It’s an invaluable skill for a quarterback to extend the play beyond its limit. But Williams tried too hard on some plays, resulting in long-yardage sacks and potentially dangerous outcomes.
The overthrow to Keenan Allen on 3rd & short was a doozy. Interestingly enough, O’Sullivan believes the ball should’ve gone to Rome Odunze, who ran a post route on the same side of the field. Allen was open, but Odunze was open first on a down where the Bears needed a completion to convert a first down.
The spotlight shined on offensive coordinator Shane Waldron in the video. Williams made a strong pass on the run to his right to DJ Moore on the sidelines. O’Sullivan wondered where play-calls of this nature were during the game. Waldron used a lot of empty sets and pocket plays for Williams, which didn’t appear to work often.
O’Sullivan also dared to question Williams’ “Hard Knocks” comment about not being nervous before games. From some plays, Williams’ footwork and overzealous arm — to O’Sullivan — pointed towards some anxious nerves. He overthrew Allen and DeAndre Carter, most notably, in the first half of the game.
Williams struggled with some nerves, failing to throw accurate passes on significant opportunities. But the offensive line and play-calling earned similar blame from the Bears’ offensive shortcomings.
The offense will look to churn out a better game against the Texans on Sunday night for Week 2’s contest. This video is helpful to know what to look for next week.
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