Steelers’ defense has a clear path to making sure that Bears QB Caleb Williams can’t win a game he has circled on his calendar
Caleb Williams might get to play against is role model this week, but the Steelers can make it a long day at the office.
There are numerous questions surrounding the quarterback position for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Right now, if you said that all three of Aaron Rodgers, Mason Rudolph, and Will Howard played on Sunday against the Chicago Bears, I don’t think many would be surprised.
Rodgers is pushing to play, Rudolph is the starter if he can’t go, and Mike Tomlin confirmed that Howard will be seeing an increase in his reps this week. But what about the quarterback on the other team?
Last year’s first overall pick, Caleb Williams, has been one of the most polarizing players in the NFL since he joined the league. His idol? None other than Rodgers. So to get a beat on Williams and the Bears in general, I previewed the matchup with Kole Noble of A to Z Sports Chicago.
What has allowed Caleb Williams and Ben Johnson to mesh?
“Early on in this arranged marriage, Williams was forced to change a lot of his play style to fit Ben Johnson’s offense, which included moving back under center and readjusting his footwork to lead the rest of his body in the pocket.
“As for the offensive scheme itself, Johnson has evolved his system from the one he ran in Detroit to maximize Williams’ talents on the run and his ability to use his legs as a weapon. The bare bones of the offense are still the same, with the run game being the focal point that sets everything else up in the passing game.
“As for Williams’ development with Johnson, he’s been much improved when it comes to working through his progressions and finding ways to hit his checkdowns. The next stage to unlock involves hitting the downfield explosive plays that are starting to open up thanks to a strong and efficient rushing attack.” – Noble
What makes the Bears’ defense so much better than last year’s unit?
“Truthfully, we still haven’t seen this defense at its best, and that likely will be the case for another week. For basically the entire season, Chicago has been without Pro Bowl cornerback Jaylon Johnson and has missed nickel cornerback Kyler Gordon for multiple weeks.
“Linebacker T.J. Edwards is another standout player who’s been in and out of the lineup for most of the season. Even still, defensive coordinator Dennis Allen is finding a way to field a capable defense.
“Some metrics (such as passing and rushing yards per game) look bad on paper, but the unit is also strong in others (such as leading the NFL in takeaways and having a solid third-down conversion rate). Takeaways have been the big thing, and it sounds cliché to say that the Bears are preaching getting takeaways every game, but it’s the truth.
“Chicago is 5-0 this season when the defense forces 2+ turnovers and has three defenders in the top-five in interceptions. Allen’s mix of attacking with four and then sending extra rushers with players like Jaquan Brisker and C.J. Gardner-Johnson has also made things unpredictable and confusing for opposing quarterbacks, leading to critical mistakes the rest of the defense is capitalizing on.” – Noble
Will the Bears give the Steelers’ defense the turnovers they thrive on?
“They really shouldn’t, only because Williams is smart with the football and has been going back to his rookie season. Watching him play and seeing his decision-making, you can tell Williams grew up watching Rodgers and modeled some of his game after him.
“With Johnson, Williams has started getting even better with his decisions when it comes to checking down, throwing the ball away, or using his legs if a play’s not there instead of forcing a ball into a tight window.
“Now, one area that can be problematic is batted footballs. Go back to the game against the Las Vegas Raiders, for example. Edge rusher Maxx Crosby gave Williams some fits early on by dropping back, getting his hands up, and batting passes.
“Crosby even managed to catch one of those batted balls for an interception. Against some intelligent pass rushers like T.J. Watt and Cam Heyward, this could be a problem if Williams isn’t careful.” – Noble
Final Takeaways
It’s clear that if the Steelers want to slow down the Bears and Williams, they will need the front five to get their hands on the football. Not specifically in terms of turnovers, but just getting your hands up to force tipped passes.
Because, as all defenses preach every team meeting: “Tips and overthrows, gotta have those.”