REPORT: Bears view Caleb Williams struggles vs Notre Dame as a major positive

Caleb Williams’ worst game of 2023 versus Notre Dame was a top selling point for the Bears

One of the most talked about games of the 2023 college football season was USC vs Notre Dame on October 14th. This game was easily the worst game Caleb Williams played all season.

Williams had a pretty abysmal stat line in that game. The quarterback completed 23 of his 37 passes for 199 yards, 1 touchdown, and 3 interceptions. Williams was also sacked 6 times and rushed for -8 total yards.

And ever since that game, people online have been using it as an example of why Caleb Williams will fail in the NFL.

Ironically, a new report from NBC Sports Chicago suggests that the Chicago Bears don’t see the game that way. Instead, according to NBC Sports Bears insider Josh Schrock, the Bears saw Williams’ struggles against Notre Dame as good.

Schrock explains why the Notre Dame game was a good thing in the eyes of the Bears

Josh Schrock detailed the reasons why Bears liked the USC-Notre Dame game on the latest edition of Football Night in Chicago. The game shows a lot of what Caleb Williams character is really like.

“There’s so much talk about the Notre dame game and why that’s this massive red flag you know, internally. The Bears where there, Ryan was there they had a bunch of scouts there, they saw it as a bonus.

Because they know how he’s going to react to adversity now. They saw great body language, threw three picks, goes to the sideline each time, no sulking, ‘hey guys come to me lets figure this out’.” – Josh Schrock

Josh Schrock’s full segment from Football Night in Chicago can be watched below:

Williams may not have been able to help USC win the football game, but the Bears liked his approach. Williams didn’t pout or throw a fit. He stayed invested in the game no matter how big Notre Dame’s lead got. Williams continued to try to rally his teammates until the end of the game.

This was one of the prime takeaways Ryan Poles and the Bears scouts had while attending the USC vs Notre Dame game. This game was a good display of Caleb Williams character, not so much his football skills.

Notre Dame’s gameplan for Williams speaks volumes about the QB

Later on, Schrock dives into another facet of the USC-Notre dame game that Ryan Poles and the Bears liked. That facet is Notre Dame’s gameplan on defense.

Schrock explains that Notre dame planned specifically for Caleb Williams. The Bears saw that as a great indicator of Williams skill and ability.

“And the thing about that game is, the defensive game plan the Bears noticed, Notre Dame had never done that before. That’s a sign of, this guys a game changer that Mark Struman said hey were taking ten days to show him something we have never shown before.” -Josh Schrock

A good NFL defense will do this too. A standard defense will not be good enough to beat a player like Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, or Josh Allen. Those quarterbacks are so good they need a unique defensive gameplan in order to beat them, or at least limit them.

Final takeaway from Schrock’s segment

Schrock has dismissed yet another common talking point for Caleb Williams critics. This has been happening a lot lately. Many insiders and knowledgeable people in the NFL circle are dispelling common criticisms of Williams.

People online struggle to find weaknesses in Caleb Williams game so they attack his character. There is little to no weight to these character criticisms and Schrock reinforced that statement with his explanation of the ND game.

Caleb Williams is one of the most talked about and hyped up QB prospects in recent years. He was always going to be the subject of massive criticism, especially with the Bears being in position to draft him.

The lights are bright in Chicago. The Bears have one of the largest and most loyal fanbases in the NFL, the scrutiny will be high than ever before for Williams.

There is no debate that Caleb Williams is a game changer. He is good in front of a camera and has a high football IQ. On paper, he has all the tools to succeed in the NFL.

Now it’s time to see if he is worth all the hype. The 2024 NFL draft is only a few weeks away, then it’s on to September when everyone will get to see Williams take his first NFL snap.

 

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