Former NFL QB highlights critical adaptation Caleb Williams must make to the NFL originally appeared in NBC Sports Chicago
Much of the pre-NFL talk about Caleb Williams as a “generational talent” can lead outsiders to believe he is a quick fix for the Bears at the quarterback position.
Unfortunately, he is not. He is a human and a newbie. Of course, debut campaigns like CJ Stroud’s last season aren’t impossible. But they are few and far between. And they require a lot of work.
With that said, Williams has a lot of room to grow. He knows that. The Bears know this. Former NFL quarterback Dan Orlovsky pointed out one area he will need to adjust in the NFL as opposed to college football.
In the film, Orlovsky examines a play on Williams’ tape at USC as incomparable to the NFL. I recommend the watch.
“You’ll see what we call the 3-man rush. For context at home, USC saw a 3-man rush, eight guys dropping, 20 percent of the time, second most in the conference. In the NFL, only defenses run it about four percent of the time,” Orlovsky began.
The tape Orlovsky shows is an incredible juxtaposition between college and NFL games. In college, Williams made money by stretching plays longer, using his legs and odd arm angles to create plays from scratch and gain yards downfield.
What Orlovsky means is this: This won’t be so easy in the NFL.
On tape, Williams is given superfluous time. His pocket is incredibly clean, in part because the opposing defense is sending a 3-man attack. Williams takes his time, changing positions in the pocket, until he finally breaks through and throws downfield across his body for a big gain.
“If I’m the Bears, I’m sitting there saying ‘Caleb, I love this stuff,’” Orlovsky said. “And you need to have an idea of when you can and can’t in this league. But we’re not going to have a lot of examples of you being the most athletic guy on the field and being able to make those (passes) consistently. .'”
It’s part of the reason the Bears were eager to draft him. Williams’ ability to create special plays outside the pocket from off-platform throws is incredible. It’s undeniably one of his greatest strengths.
But that could quickly become a weakness if he doesn’t adapt to the intense early pressure of the NFL. Remember how Justin Fields was widely criticized for holding the ball too long? That could easily happen to Williams if the Bears can’t curb Williams’ instinct to switch to his off-script skills.
To do this, it raises questions that will soon have answers in the field
“I think Caleb Williams said many times, almost like Aaron Rodgers, ‘I’m going to get that ball. create something in the field.
“How many times can he do that in the NFL without getting hit a ton or giving up the ball?”
