Williams on playing his first Thursday game, improved play with "time on task" |
CHICAGO - Rookie quarterback Caleb Williams is someone who likes routine. So far in the NFL, he has not had to adjust his game-week routine as the Bears have only played on Sundays. That will change this Thanksgiving when the Chicago Bears take on the Detroit Lions (11:30 a.m. / CBS). It will be his first Thursday game in the NFL.
“This is interesting for me this being my first Thursday game and it being such a large game, divisional game versus one of the best, if not the best, team so far this season,” Williams said. “Routine-wise is different, having to get up and things like that on your Tuesday which you normally are taking care of your body all day, strictly (mental) work and things like that on Tuesday for myself. I would say I had a few mess ups today with some of the new plays and just (because) you don’t have (a) day and a half, go through all the small details that mean a lot and always talk about. So, definitely something that after this week and after this game, I know that we have another one this year and I know that we’ll have a bunch more in the years to come. So, (I) definitely want to make sure that when this happens next time that I’m prepared for it … and I know kind of what to expect. So, there’s a lot of newness for this week. There’s a lot of information. But, we’re going to tackle it.” Things started out well for Williams and the Chicago Bears. Through the first six games, Chicago was 4-2. He threw four touchdowns in the Bears’ victory in London against the Jacksonville Jaguars. His accuracy was a bit shaky in the first game of the season, but improved after that. When Chicago lost to the Washington Commanders on the Hail Mary, something changed. The Bears are currently on a five-game losing streak after losing in heartbreaking fashion against the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings. However, Williams has looked better in those two games, the first two under interim offensive coordinator Thomas Brown. Nonetheless, a slump like this can be difficult, especially for a rookie. But, he recognizes that tough times do not last and finds benefit in each game as it increases his time on task. “Those tough times happen. They don’t last forever. So, you just keep going. You don’t lose confidence, belief or trust. You keep going. You keep fighting and that’s kind of how I go. That’s kind of how the team goes,” Williams said. “I definitely think time on task has helped. Throughout all the games, practices and all the way back to the summer and spring, I think time on task has been extremely important. You can’t ever beat that, being able to have time on task and so, I think that has provided a sense of clarity, a sense of belief.” With Brown as the offensive play-caller, there is some renewed hope. Williams has had some of his best games as far as accuracy. He has only been sacked six times, tied for his second-lowest in a two-game stretch. Brown has done a good job tailoring his play-calling to what works for the skill around Williams, including getting elite wide receiver DJ Moore more involved in the offense. “I think he’s done a great job understanding me. Even though we haven’t had many talks in the past, there are many opportunities to do something like that,” Williams said. “So, I think he’s done a good job understanding me and the players that we have on this team and I think that’s going to keep growing. I think us going into this week facing this challenge is going to be another testament to that.” This Thanksgiving, Williams will face another difficult defense in the Detroit Lions. The Lions are third in the NFL in interceptions with 14 while also surrendering the fewest passing touchdowns out of any team in the league with seven. Despite not having one of the best defenders in the league, Aidan Hutchinson, for the rest of the season, Detroit has continued to dominate defensively. “They’re still (a) very talented defense, very mature,” Williams said. “They’ve been playing together for a good amount of time now. So, I think they’re a well-knit group and we got to face a challenge.”
