Williams on chemistry with Odunze and OC Thomas Brown |
CHICAGO - Rookie quarterback Caleb Williams was incredibly close to getting his first win against a division opponent.
He did what he needed to do to get the Bears in field goal range, connecting to fellow rookie Rome Odunze on back-to-back plays to continue Chicago’s drive on the last drive of the game. “I think being synced up is the most important part. I knew it was man across the board and Rome was, I felt, the best matchup at that time and Rome (has) made plays for me over and over again and right in that moment, (defense) was pressed on him,” Williams said. “Rome one fast, threw his hand up, saw that and at that point when the DB’s in trying to catch up mode, it’s either going to be a completion or it’s going to be a DPI and so, just make sure to give Rome a chance with the ball and obviously, he went out there and made a great play.” Having that kind of chemistry is important and it could prove crucial when the Bears face the Minnesota Vikings this coming Sunday (Noon / FOX) in their second NFC North game of the year. Minnesota’s defense, led by defensive coordinator Brian Flores, loves to blitz. Williams is already prepared for the pressure Flores’ defense will bring this Sunday and recognizes the importance of making chunk plays against them, as Minnesota has one of the worst passing defenses in the league. “(Flores)’s going to blitz you. He’s the king of cover zero blitz and finding a bunch of different ways to do it and then they’ll switch it up and just fly (safety Harrison Smith) out from two yards away from me and fly him all the way back to the safety,” Williams said. “So, us being decisive, us having a plan for all of that and then from there, get the ball to your playmakers and run the ball well and efficiently and from there, when they give you shots and give you explosive plays, you make those plays and it affects the (play) calling for the defense. When you’re able to hit explosive plays or when you’re able to get the ball out and be decisive, when they’re sending all these different exotic blitzes and things like that, I think it affects the play caller on the other side and you have to find other ways to attack.” A win against Minnesota is necessary to keep Chicago’s playoff hopes alive. They are currently on a four-game losing streak. That is in part because of the offense's lack of quality performance. With Shane Waldron as offensive coordinator, they struggled greatly, reaching their peak against the New England Patriots when Williams was sacked nine times. Despite the setbacks and challenges, Williams’ confidence has not wavered. “I think I realized after the third game that I can play and I feel good playing … Regardless of the interceptions in the beginning of the season (I) felt like I was seeing the field well and that still stands today,” Williams said. “There’s going to be rough times, rough patches over the long, healthy career that I hopefully have and that’s not going to change my mindset and nor is it going to change it now. So, been able to have a good game (or) a solid game I would say (versus) a team like that is obviously, it goes into practice and the details … I think (I have) been able to be consistent throughout the weeks of practice, film … I think it leads (to) a consistent path and so, I just have to stay on that path and keep going.” With Thomas Brown now serving as the interim offensive coordinator, the offense looked completely different against the Green Bay Packers this past Sunday. Notably, Williams ran the ball nine times for 70 yards. While Williams said Brown did not encourage him to run more, Brown did encourage him to take advantage of what the defense gave him. “Thomas didn’t encourage me to run more. He just encouraged me to get the ball to my guys and be efficient in those ways and then from there, do that well and then if they want to play a certain defense or play me a certain way and leaves lanes open, I do have legs and I can ran and so, take advantage of that to help my team win and move on from there,” Williams said. “That’s the only goal of myself when I walk into a game is find ways to be able to keep us on the field, find ways to be efficient, find ways to help this offense score and help this team win and so, if I have to run a little bit more, if I have to drop back and throw the ball, if I have to hand the ball off 40 times, it is what it is.”
