Trending
WANT FREE UPDATES?
Bears

Chicago Bears: What Matt Eberflus and Caleb Williams said about rookie QB’s debut

Jordan SiglerBy 3 Mins Read
Caleb Williams Chicago Bears
Aug 10, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) on the sidelines in the second quarter of a pre-season game against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports

Caleb Williams walked into the huddle before his first play as a Chicago Bears quarterback with a swagger many NFL rookies don’t possess in their first preseason game. He walked into his first NFL-postgame press conference with plenty of confidence after a performance that will have the fanbase stoked.

Williams went 4/7 passing for 95 yards in the first quarter of the Bears’ 33-6 route of the Buffalo Bills. Williams added another 13 yards on the ground.

Caleb Williams has been waiting for this moment

NFL: Chicago Bears at Buffalo Bills
Aug 10, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) warms up before a pre-season game against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports

The No. 1 pick said he was grateful to play in a game setting for the first time since the UCLA Bruins defeated his USC Trojans 38-20 on Nov. 18 of last year.

“I felt good. There’s always a little bit of more focus that you have going into games for whatever reason, even if you try to enter that mindset throughout the weeks,” Williams said. “It’s just a sense of control, a sense of progress, a sense of a bunch of different things that, when you get into games, the comfort level and all of that normally skyrockets.”

Williams looked poised in his first NFL start. He made a few mistakes but never looked overwhelmed on Saturday as he led two scoring drives.

Williams has been working for years to be the Chicago Bears’ leader

NFL: Pro Football Hall of Fame Game Houston Texans at Chicago Bears
Aug 1, 2024; Canton, Ohio, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) warms up before the game against the Houston Texans at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Williams said he’s been working on gaining confidence to lead an NFL offense since before the Bears drafted him.

“I wouldn’t say it’s natural,” Williams said. “I would say that it’s come from the hard work here, and us being here working together (and) building this thing. And also the years of work of getting here and now being a Chicago Bear.”

Matt Eberflus praises Williams’ work ethic

NFL: Chicago Bears at Buffalo Bills
Aug 10, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Chicago Bears head coach Matt Eberflus on the sidelines in the third quarter of a pre-season game against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports
Eberflus said the performance was a product of the work Williams has been putting in since the spring.
“I think it’s good for [Williams]. It’s the fruit of his labor,” Eberflus said. “He’s been working his tail off for 15 practices, even before that, all through the summer. It’s good to be able to say, ‘Hey, all this drill work, all the things that I’ve been doing, it’s paying off, and I can see the improvements.'”

For More Chicago Sports:

Follow me on Twitter at @JordanSig, and follow us @ChiCitySports23. You can also reach out to Jordan Sigler via email at jordanmsigler@gmail.com. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in ALL of Chicago sports, click here! Chicago Bears, Chicago Bulls, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Chicago Blackhawks.

For More Great Chicago Sports Content

Get the latest Chicago sports news, analysis, and breaking stories on the Bears, Bulls, Blackhawks, Cubs, White Sox, Sky, and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News, so you never miss a story on your favorite Chicago teams.

Follow us on Twitter at @chicitysports23 for more great content. We appreciate you taking time to read our articles. To interact more with our community and keep up to date on the latest in Chicago sports news, JOIN OUR FREE FACEBOOK GROUP by CLICKING HERE

Share.

Related Posts

Leave A Reply