Williams on showing improvement in win over Rams |
CHICAGO - Rookie quarterback Caleb Williams has hit another milestone in his young career - his first game with a passer rating over 100 as he finished the game with 157 passing yards, a passing touchdown and a passer rating of 106.6. It also marked his first game with a touchdown pass in a game the Bears have won.
For Chicago so far this season, it seems to be a common trend that they start slower early in the game and get some momentum going in the second half. That is exactly what happened against the Los Angeles Rams this past Sunday. In their 24-18 victory, they scored two of their three touchdowns in the second half; they still only have three first-quarter points. Williams also felt the Bears made fewer mental mistakes in the second half, which allowed them to sustain drives. “We were putting ourselves in advantageous positions in the second half with the sticks and staying ahead of the sticks and compared to the first half with the flags or with negative plays. We didn’t do as well compared to the second half, and it shows,” Williams said. “I think our work throughout this past week was different than our other weeks before, and I think that goes to our leadership. That goes to our communication … I think the growth is there. I think the leadership and the vets that we have around to be able to help lead and get to positions where we want to be, which is obviously on Sundays winning games. So, super excited, super proud of the guys (that) we’re coming out this game with a win.” In his lone touchdown pass of the game, he found wide receiver DJ Moore in the end zone lined up against Rams linebacker Christian Rozeboom, a matchup that Williams said was just what he was looking for on that play. Reads like this show his growing comfortability in the league, which is incredibly promising for Bears fans as the season progresses. “When you leave a backer on DJ, that’s the matchup that you want and that you wish for throughout games, and so, that’s how it happened,” Williams said. “I think overall, I feel like I’m getting more comfortable … I think just getting more in the flow of football, the rhythm throughout the season, the rhythm of the week, just getting more comfortable and being consistent with myself throughout the week, I think, is kind of what I’m feeling and then us just building, us communicating … building on the things whether it was good or bad. I think we’re doing that well.” Another advantage for Williams is that not all of the pressure to succeed is being put on his shoulders. He is surrounded by talent with three elite receivers, a run game that finally got going today with running backs D’Andre Swift and Roschon Johnson each getting a touchdown and the run game having a total of 131 yards, as well as having an elite defense and a strong punter in rookie Tory Taylor who three punts over 60 yards, his longest of the game being 66 yards. Having all of this talent has helped him improve through his first month of being an NFL quarterback. “When you have a defense like us, you got a punter and kicker that we have, you (have to) not turn the ball over (and that) goes a long way,” Williams said. “You’re going to win a lot of games, and so, handling myself appropriately last week, understanding ways that I need to get better, and obviously the steady growth throughout the season is incredibly important for myself but also for the team and so, not turn the ball over and decision making, I think I would have to say it was a little better.”
