Caleb Williams had a quiet debut for the Chicago Bears, managing only 93 yards on 14-of-29 passing. It was a frustrating day. The young quarterback made mostly good decisions. There were no outright bad moments. The problem was several passes were simply off the mark. Williams himself stated there were around six passes that would’ve changed the complexion of the game had he been more accurate. Head coach Matt Eberflus didn’t sound concerned about the outcome at all.
Weeks ago, Alabama legend Nick Saban warned him that quarterbacks required time and patience. Development was the key. The worst thing a coach can do is let outside expectations get in the way of doing what is right for the player. When asked about Williams, Eberflus expressed the utmost confidence in his progress. What stood out the most was a surprising revelation. The head coach seems to believe that real results won’t start showing up for a few more weeks, and the Bears are planning for it.
“He’s smart as a whip and knows the offense,” coach Matt Eberflus said of Williams. “And we’ve just got to keep playing well around him as he grows and reinvests and improves. He’s going to learn a lot these first three, four games in terms of the NFL looks and speed and all the things we have to do.”
If one were to look back at previous quarterbacks who started right away as rookies, most of them didn’t really find their footing until a month into the season. For example, Williams is often compared to Russell Wilson. His first month in Seattle saw him barely complete 60% of his passes with four touchdowns and four interceptions. In the second month, that jumped to 63% with six touchdowns and four interceptions. By the third month, he went up to 67% with nine touchdowns and zero interceptions.
Or maybe you look at another #1 overall pick like Eli Manning. His first four starts saw a 38% completion rate with one touchdown and six interceptions. Then he flipped the switch, getting up to 60% with five touchdowns and three interceptions.
The bottom line is that Matt Eberflus is correct. It typically takes a young quarterback a few weeks to acclimate to the speed and complexity of NFL defenses. Williams may not have had the debut everyone hoped for, but it was an important step in the growth process. The goal for Chicago is to keep working with him and keep encouraging him. Everybody has his back. As time goes on, his confidence will grow, and that is when his performances will improve.
