Waldron on Caleb Williams against Bengals, update on Kiran Amegadjie |
CHICAGO - The Chicago Bears’ third preseason game may not have gone the way offensive coordinator Shane Waldron had hoped it would for his offseason with three straight three-and-outs, but it was a good chance to see how rookie quarterback Caleb Williams bounces back when things are going slow for the offense.
“Everything for (Williams) is moving forward. Everything’s forward thinking with a great, positive mindset. He looks at it as, what’s the next chance to make the next play when he’s out there,” Waldron said. “So, every time, got over to the sidelines, talked about what happened, regrouped and then got ready to go back out for the next drive right there.” What really got things going for the Chicago offense was a 43-yard pass interference call against the Cincinnati Bengals after Williams threw a perfect pass to receiver Tyler Scott deep down the field. That led to a field goal and the first points of the game. On the next drive, a 45-yard connection between Williams and rookie receiver Rome Odunze helped the Bears get their first touchdown of the game. That play demonstrated the ability of both rookies to improvise when a play is breaking down and make something happen, a skill that is not typically seen so quickly from rookies. “For those guys, the effort, starting with Rome with his instant reaction when he feels the play going off-schedule. (Wide receivers coach) Chris Beatty’s done a great job with the receivers, coaching them up on what are some of the scramble response rules and where to get to, but (it) starts with that hustle and that effort,” Waldron said. “Any time a play breaks down and then for the line up front, understanding those would be the tempting times to maybe grab the defensive lineman or hold right there. But they did a great job right there staying clean hands, clean feet and then, the rest of it, that throw he’s making rolling to his left. I’d love to say that we drilled that forever and then magically we made that happen. But man, he’s got that ability and to me, that’s where (he) finds that balance of when’s the right time, and that was obviously a great time to create something off-schedule when he didn’t feel his initial reads were there in rhythm and then he’s also clean with the ball to get through the line of scrimmage and find Rome down the field.” Chicago drafted three offensive players in the 2024 NFL Draft. In addition to Williams and Odunze, the Bears also selected offensive lineman Kiran Amegadjie out of Yale. While the rookie offensive lineman has been dealing with some injuries, Waldron says he has put himself in the best position possible to be ready when he is physically able to play. “Looking forward to him. A smart guy, tough and reliable that can start off with a good base already. But, there’s no substitute for getting out there and doing it. So, that’s the biggest thing,” Waldron said. “Each one of these situations are all just individually based and there might be different things that you can recall from the past that might lead you to the hope one way or another but that’s just hoping because you don’t know until that individual does it. But, he’s put himself in the best position possible knowing he’s dealing with injuries, knowing he’s worked his way and done a great job with the training staff and the strength conditioning staff to put himself in position to get out on the field and then from a mental standpoint, he (has) stayed so locked in every opportunity he’s had. So now, it’s just about going out there and doing it.” - On Kiran Amegabjie With all the pieces the Bears have on their offense, between Williams, Odunze, receivers Keenan Allen and DJ Moore, tight ends Gerald Everett and Cole Kmet, and running back D’Andre Swift, it is fair to say Chicago has the potential to be an incredibly explosive offense. In addition to all that talent, the Bears also have a solid backup quarterback in Tyson Bagent. Going into his second season, there were some clear signs of improvement throughout the preseason, and he appeared to be more comfortable running the offense than he was as a rookie. Waldron specifically noticed how poised Bagent was going through his progressions and running the offense. “I love Tyson’s poise. He played with that calm, cool and collected demeanor at the line of scrimmage, was able to get right through whether it was right through a progression to a second or third read or number one’s there and he played in great rhythm right there,” Waldron said. “So, he just showed that poise, poise in the running game, the ownership of the offense. So, it was great to see and talk about a guy, hard work pays off. No one’s going to out-work him and so, it’s great to see that out on the field.” The Chicago Bears will play their final preseason game against the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday, Aug. 22 (7:20 p.m. / FOX 32 or NFL Network).
