Caleb Williams had about as good of a debut as Chicago Bears fans could’ve hoped for. He led two scoring drives, didn’t get injured, and made some truly impressive throws from inside and outside the pocket. There were some strong contenders for the best of the bunch. He had a rocket to D.J. Moore and 3rd and 12 for a 1st down. Most would probably pick his bootleg that he fired on the run to Cole Kmet for 26 yards. It’s hard to blame them. The throw was as high difficulty as it gets. However, further examination of the tape says it was not his best throw.
That came on the first drive. Chicago had a screen pass called. A blitzer from the right side forced Williams to step up. A Bill defensive tackle is about to hit him, but the rookie is able to flip the ball out just in time to D’Andre Swift for 42 yards. At first glance, it was a nifty play. Then you watch the replay and realize it was baffling Williams even completed it. For one, the defender literally has a hand in his face. Second, Williams doesn’t even have his head turned in Swift’s direction.
He basically throws the ball over his left shoulder without looking and still hits Swift in stride. That shouldn’t be possible.
Then again, the Bears rookie would be quick to say Matthew Stafford was doing it first. He’s a big fan of the former Detroit Lions and current Los Angeles Rams star. No-look passes of that nature are his specialty. Jim McMahon was also known for it during his days in Chicago. Either way, the fact that Williams had the presence of mind to get the ball out while knowing where Swift would be is special stuff. Very few quarterbacks can do something like that. The fact the Bears now have one is pretty damn exciting. There is a long way to go before anybody should crown him. Still, this was an encouraging sneak peek.
