Caleb Williams makes Chicago Bears debut in preseason matchup against Buffalo Bills
Caleb Williams’ Chicago Bears debut in Saturday’s preseason matchup against the Buffalo Bills is complete – and boy did he impress. Williams played two series consisting of 18 total snaps, with both drives ending in field goals. However, Williams made a number of “wow” plays that resembled that of a seasoned veteran rather than a rookie in his first NFL game. Williams finished his day completing 4-of-7 passes for 95 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions. He also had one scramble for 13 yards.
One of the highlight-worthy plays came on Williams’ first series when he faced pressure off a blitz from the right side. It looked to be a sure sack, but Williams flipped the ball Mahomes-style to running back D’Andre Swift out of the backfield who then proceeded to dash 42 yards downfield before being tripped up. Williams showed quick thinking and looked like a veteran on the play, and it allowed Swift to show his immense value as a pass catcher out of the backfield.
.@DAndreSwift goes for 42yds 💨
📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/ASlD1bVJmf
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) August 10, 2024
Rookie mistakes are inevitable with Caleb Williams
In Williams’ second series, he made an early rookie mistake on a 3rd down pass from his own 7 yard-line that was nearly intercepted. Williams was late on an out-route intended for rookie wide receiver Rome Odunze, resulting in the pass nearly being picked off. However, there was a penalty for illegal contact on Buffalo that allowed the Bears to reset downs and continue the drive. Williams followed that up with a 15-yard strike to D.J. Moore.
Mistakes like these are going to happen with Caleb Williams. This needs to be looked at as a learning opportunity for the rookie quarterback rather than a setback. For as ill-advised as the throw was, Williams made it a distant memory with his play on the rest of the drive. This is a great sign, as some rookie quarterbacks might get flustered after a near disaster that resulted from a bad decision.
Bears finish the drive strong
Williams clearly has a short memory. On 1st-and-10 from their own 41 yard-line, Williams unleashed an absolute laser to tight end Cole Kmet for 26 yards and a first down. Williams was pressured by Bills’ defensive end Dawuane Smoot on the play-action pass while rolling hard to his right when he threw a perfect strike across his body to Kmet. The play really showed off Williams’ arm strength and lack of hesitation as he fired the ball to Kmet with conviction.
Caleb Williams to Cole Kmet 😮💨
— Marquee Bears (@BearsMarquee) August 10, 2024
Williams also showed off his scrambling ability three plays later on a 13-yard scamper up the middle. It was great to see him make the decision quickly after recognizing the defense and the room in the middle for him to run. He even put his slip-n-slide drills to use with a quarterback slide at the end of the play.
The drive ended in an incomplete pass from Williams intended for Odunze in the back corner of the end zone. The ball was slightly overthrown, but Williams was sure to put the ball where only Odunze had a shot at it, which is a smart move considering they were in field goal range. An underthrown ball in that spot likely would have resulted in an interception, negating any chance at putting points on the board.
Overall, Caleb Williams looked calm and decisive in the pocket while showing some elusiveness in escaping pressure. Despite a few minor mistakes, Williams’ debut was everything Bears fans could ask for. Social media was set ablaze, as expected, by his performance.
Okay I’ve seen enough. The #Bears are back and Caleb Williams is a stud pic.twitter.com/JfxmiuYFOo
— Jacob Infante (@jacobinfante24) August 10, 2024
I’m very pleased with Caleb Williams’ preseason debut. Looked calm, in control at the LOS & did a nice job of going through progressions.
For #Bears fans who aren’t familiar with Williams’ pocket awareness, welcome. This is why his college Time To Throw doesn’t worry me as much
— Aaron Leming (@AaronLemingNFL) August 10, 2024
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