Caleb Williams takes the ultimate accountability while sticking up for his offensive line heading into the final game of his rookie season
The 2024 season was a rough year for Chicago Bears' rookie quarterback Caleb Williams in more ways than one.Even though Williams broke multiple rookie records and put together one of the best passing seasons in franchise history, a lot still needs to be fixed in his game going forward, and he would be the first […]
The 2024 season was a rough year for Chicago Bears' rookie quarterback Caleb Williams in more ways than one.
Even though Williams broke multiple rookie records and put together one of the best passing seasons in franchise history, a lot still needs to be fixed in his game going forward, and he would be the first to tell you that.
Losers of 10 straight, Williams and the Bears have one game left in the 2024 season and then the focus turns to learning from all the mistakes this season has presented.
Williams' biggest issue during his rookie campaign has to be the sack total. Entering Week 18, Williams has been sacked 67 times, 15 times more than the next closest quarterback, and nine sacks away from a new NFL record.
While the offensive line has struggled all season long, not all of the blame falls on the unit up-front. And that's something Williams himself wanted to clear up on Wednesday while talking to the media.
“The stupid connotation behind my offense line being bad is not the truth. I’ve taken a good amount of sacks that have been my fault,” Williams said on Wednesday.
According to Pro Football Focus, of the 67 sacks taken by Williams this season, 17 have been credited to Williams and not an offensive lineman, which also leads the league.
Each week, it's as if Williams is trying to do too much on any given play and hanging around the pocket too long. Williams' 3.03 time to throw is the third longest among quarterbacks with 500+ dropbacks this season.
“I’ve taken sacks, yes. And a good amount have been on me, whether it’s small things of getting the ball out of my hands and maybe dirting it, not trying to find the perfect route, perfect play, maybe it’s just throwing it out of bounds, dirting it, finding the checkdown faster. The other one is not trying to make plays all the time,” Williams added.
Improving in pocket awareness and overall situational awareness has to be priority one for Williams going into his second season with the Bears. And priority one for the front office has to be overhauling the protection in front of their franchise quarterback. Both things can be the reason for the absurd number of sacks Williams has taken and both need to be addressed before this team can turn the corner.
But for the time being, you have to love seeing Williams take the high road and shoulder some of the blame for the sacks, especially since the majority of the media continues to blame and bury his offensive line.
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