Caleb Williams was terrific in college. He won a Heisman trophy and put up numbers worthy of a #1 overall pick. That said, everybody knows that level of football is different from the NFL. Everybody is fast at the pro level. Everybody is smart. These are grown men battling for their livelihoods and legacies. It is why defenses are faster and more disciplined. Throwing windows are tighter. Coaches are also better, throwing all sorts of creative and complex schemes at the quarterback to confuse him. Williams must overcome these challenges if he wants to establish himself as a true great.
Dave Wannstedt is familiar with the difficult process of developing a QB. He watched the Dallas Cowboys do it with Troy Aikman in the late 1980s. He probably opted to go with veteran options as head coach in Chicago, knowing the time it took was extensive. He has no doubt Williams can reach elite heights in the NFL. However, there are certain aspects of this level the rookie must get out of his head immediately. Wannstedt gave one big example on Football Night In Chicago.
Don’t expect to see any more three-man rushes.
NFL defenses do not allow quarterbacks time to leisurely sit back in the pocket with three-man rushes. That is also called a prevent defense, and it rarely works outside of its intended purpose of trading space for time, working to protect a lead by milking the clock. Williams should expect lots more blitzing at this level. Defenses will work to overload his brain with stunts, late coverage shifts, and disguised extra rushers. It will be his job to use the 20-30 seconds before each snap to identify all of that and get the Bears into the right play. Then he’ll have to read the coverage and make the throw in under three seconds.
That is how the best NFL quarterbacks do it. Sounds impossible, right? There is a reason only five or six guys can do it at a high level. It isn’t easy. Caleb Williams believes he can. The talent was never in question. His arm strength, accuracy, and improvisational skills are all of the top tier. It was always about whether he could master operating inside the structure of the offense. That means making smart reads and getting the ball out with timing and rhythm. Chicago will soon find out how capable he is.
