Eberflus on Williams’ struggles, belief in Shane Waldron |
HOUSTON, T.X. - Rookie quarterback Caleb Williams was supposed to be the answer for the Bears. The Heisman winner led Division I in touchdowns back in 2022 with 42; he only had five interceptions that year and 14 total interceptions during his three-year collegiate career. In Chicago’s loss against the Houston Texans on Sunday night, he had his first two interceptions of his NFL career.
In all fairness to Williams, he was constantly under duress, getting sacked seven times by six different players. There were some positives to take away from this game, however. When the Texans were not blitzing, he stood tall in the pocket and was typically able to deliver the ball. Furthermore, he was able to avoid getting sacked a few times, although evading a sack is also what led to his second interception. “Caleb’s going to improve every single week and he’s going to get those (experiences) and exposures as we go through this and just get better and that’s one of the things he can work on and he’s going to do that this week,” head coach Matt Eberflus said. “There’s certain points where I think he did a really good job of riding up in the pocket, making some good throws. So, there’s some really good positives there that we can look at. Then also, he was able to evade the rush a couple times and get on the perimeter. Then, he has to be careful with the football after he gets out there when he throws the ball in a scramble drill. So, there’s some learning moments for him in terms of the pressure about what to do and when to do it.” While his first game of his NFL career was bad statistically, Williams managed to avoid making any game-changing plays by putting the ball in danger when the Bears beat the Tennessee Titans in the season opener. Against Houston, Chicago’s defense mitigated the damage from Williams’ interceptions, only allowing three points off those two turnovers. Nonetheless, ball security is a concern going into week three of the NFL season with the Bears taking on the winless Indianapolis Colts (Noon / CBS) on Sun. Sept. 22. “He’s a very tough person. He’s very resilient and he hangs in that pocket and he showed his toughness (Sunday). He took a couple in there. But, the main thing he’s got to do is ball security in the pocket, which he’s been relatively good at, and then also being able to stay in the pocket and ride that pocket when it’s firm and he’s got to use his instincts,” Eberflus said. “If it does break down because in the NFL it does sometimes and he does a good job with that as well. So, just staying on the ball security, staying in the pocket, stay on his progression, keep his eyes down the field and just keep doing the basics right.” After the first two weeks of the season, the competency of offensive coordinator Shane Waldron has come into question. The Bears have one of the worst offenses in the league statistically, and they have looked stagnant most of the season. While the Titans the Texans are not easy opponents, having only one offensive touchdown through two games will not lead to wins. The run game is particularly of concern as having a solid run game helps out a rookie quarterback. However, Chicago is No. 28 in the league in rushing yards. The Seattle Seahawks offense under Waldron last season finished No. 28 in rushing yards, perhaps showing a trend in his career for underperforming rushing games. Nonetheless, Eberflus maintains he is confident in Waldron and everyone else in the building. “Great communicator, great teacher, really has a good feel for the game, works well with his staff and the players,” Eberflus said. “I thought we did a good job of distributing the ball (Sunday), better than the first game in terms of putting it to our skill and the targets to our skill sets. That was really good, so I have total belief in all those guys.” Going against the Colts this Sunday provides the run game a chance to bounce back. Indianapolis has given up the most rushing yards through two games of any team in the league. They also have a top-10 defense in terms of passing yards allowed, meaning the Bears must get their run game going if they are going to keep pace in the NFC North and get their second win of the season.
