Caleb Williams focused on flipping the script ahead of another heated showdown with the Packers with his confidence continuing to build
The rematch everyone has been waiting for.
When the Chicago Bears clash horns with the Green Bay Packers again on Saturday, there’s going to be a lot of storylines surrounding the overall game from the outside looking in.
Playoff positions hang in the balance, as does the NFC North title race, with three games left in the regular season and the outcome of this game will be a major deciding factor in that. How the Packers fare without star pass rusher Micah Parsons will be a major topic of conversation as well.
But, it’s clear the biggest story in this game is whether or not Bears quarterback Caleb Williams can flip the script and put together another strong game, for all four quarters, this time around against the team’s bitter rival.
Caleb Williams had a slight, but meaningful hiccup, the last time he faced Green Bay
Last week against the Cleveland Browns, Williams surpassed 1,000 career pass attempts in the NFL and in the process set the NFL record for the fewest interceptions in a QB’s first 1,000 career pass attempts, with 12 career interceptions.
It’s a part of the game that Williams takes immense pride in, well before stepping foot in the NFL, and it speaks to the internal confidence he’s always had in his abilities as a quarterback.
“When I let the ball go, you know, I’m pretty (expletive) sure that it’s not going to be a bad play,” Williams told reporters on Tuesday. “If anything, the bad play is an incompletion. I think I have proven that over my time so far, being here and playing football in college, so like I said, when I let it go, I think it is a good ball. At the least, it’s going to be incomplete.”
That wasn’t the case back in Week 14 on fourth-and-one against the Packers with 27 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. The Bears, in hopes of sending the final dagger to seal the second-half comeback, dialed up a similar play that won the game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
A play-action rollout to the left, and just like the week before, Williams looked to loft the ball up to tight end Cole Kmet in the end zone. Only this time, Packers cornerback Keisean Nixon saw it coming and dropped back to secure the game-winning interception. It was only Williams’ sixth interception of the entire season, but it’s the one that went all over social media and sports television for days.
“Ended up obviously throwing the pick, as everybody knows, in those last moments, and kind of let them off the hook throwing such a bad ball to Cole,” Williams explained. “I’m definitely excited (to play the Packers again). I’m excited for the moment.”
Confidence is starting to grow for Caleb Williams
After that interception and ensuing loss in Week 14, Williams and head coach Ben Johnson went back to the drawing board to figure out how to better get on the same page. It had nothing to do with the final play, those things happen. It was more about finding a way to start quicker and get Williams’ confidence going right out of the gate.
That kind of confidence was evident on the field last Sunday against the Browns. Williams started the game much faster compared to the week prior against the Packers and hit some more ridiculous throws that few quarterbacks could even dream of completing. But, it wasn’t just the splash plays, he truly looked calm all throughout that game.
“He certainly looked that way when you turned on the tape,” Johnson explained. “He’s taking his drop. His eyes are in the right spot. I think he was anticipating what coverages they were going to be in, and that was able to help him speed up his play and get through his progressions a little bit cleaner, too. I thought it was a good week for him, a step in the right direction.”
It was a step forward that was needed after the way Week 14 ended and there’s no room for error at this point in the season to afford a step backwards in the rematch against the Packers on Saturday. This has the feel of a playoff game and the Bears are going to need yet another step forward from their quarterback to prove they’re ready to win these type of games.
“My confidence is always strong,” Williams said. “I believe in myself. I believe in who I am. I believe in how I work and all these different things. And then having the group around me only strengthens that for me. It’s always strength in numbers. It’s always one. It’s always us. With that being said, my confidence is growing, and it’s going to be through the roof.”
Chicago Bears News
Bears HC Ben Johnson shares his true feelings on the Packers’ defense without star pass rusher Micah Parsons going into Week 16
He’s still expecting a big challenge on Saturday.
