People thought Justin Fields had a great arm. However, his consistency and touch never really shined outside of occasional flashes. It isn’t taking long for people to realize Caleb Williams is a different animal. Not only does he have the necessary strength to throw it down the field, but his natural accuracy and ball placement have stood out from the beginning. It is only two days into training camp and the young quarterback delivered what is probably the first candidate for best pass of the summer.
It took place during 7-on-7 drills. The Bears offense was going against the starting defense. That meant Williams’ receivers were dealing with that excellent cornerback group led by Jaylon Johnson, Kyler Gordon, and Tyrique Stevenson. Williams glanced right on the snap before coming back left, where he found Tyler Scott one-on-one with Gordon. The coverage was good, but it didn’t matter. Williams fired an absolute missile 30 yards to hit Scott in stride over the shoulder for a big play.
Rest assured, such throws are anything but easy. The Bears rookie made it look effortless.
For some quarterbacks, throwing the ball is like breathing. They simply understand how to do it because they trust their mechanics and ability. Williams’ throwing style is textbook. The ball comes up to the ear and then out. That is exactly how coaches would teach it. Not only does it help the quarterback increase the speed of his throwing motion, but it also helps him to control where it goes. That play was a perfect example. Gordon was in great coverage throughout the sequence. Unfortunately, the throw was perfect. You can’t stop those.
If this is a preview of what’s coming in the fall, Bears fans should get excited. One of the persistent issues with Fields was his inability to fit the ball into tight windows. Oftentimes, he didn’t even bother trying. Caleb Williams doesn’t seem to have any such misgivings. It’s easy to see why. The key will be giving him the required protection to let him make those confident throws. Chicago seems confident in their offensive line. Getting to work against that #1 defense should only sharpen Williams further.
