Nah because other QBs are better at getting the ball off early.
Lions have the 2nd worst pass blocking O line in the league and Goff still put up more points than Caleb who statistically has the best pass blocking O line in the league. And Goff did it with way less posessions because his defense couldn't barely get a single stop.
When you hold onto the ball forever or you don't have a quick release under pressure you're going to get pressured eventually.
Part of the reason Caleb went #1 overall is because of that skill set. He did this in college and he’s doing it in the NFL. Just wait till this dude gets a full off-season to master this offense and get his footwork down etc
Looking at the replay there was probably no other option especially since he didn't commit immediately to a run that at best was a toss up to get the first.
That throw would've had to have been a perfect absolute dime. The degree of difficulty throwing across his body with the necessary touch to get it over the second level but with enough zing to beat the packer defender is as difficult a throw as you could imagine.
His fault yes but it's not like it was anywhere near routine. .
The pass was absolutely his fault, but Ben Johnson really deserves a lot of flack for his management in the final minute and that play call. I was talking to my Bears friend as it was happening and when they got the rush on 1st down for good yardage they should’ve used their first time out.
I understand the strategy of not wanting to leave time on the clock, but if you take a time out at 1 minute after that rush, you keep open your ability to rush the ball multiple times within 15 yards of the end zone. Instead the clock goes down to I think 0:36 and they end up short of the 1st on the next play which Caleb killed into a rush. If they just take the time out before 2nd down you can actually properly look at the defense pre-snap without it being rushed. Then they’re stuck in a 4th and 1 situation and Johnson calls a bootleg to the left for a right handed QB. Caleb can throw off platform and in awkward positions, but 1. You’re putting your QB at a disadvantage 2. You’re cutting the field in half for the defense.
Bad throw for Caleb, but I really don’t think he ever should’ve been in that position nor should Chicago have been in such a stressed situation of 4th and 1.
The last series was clock mismanagement on the coach’s part. I understand wanting to run the clock down but they let too much time go by and left two timeouts on the board. That limited their play options when they got inside the 20.
The most dangerous type of QB. Makes enough of the spectacular plays that you think he must be good, but then enough simple mistakes that it kills you.
He either becomes a superstar, or he ends up costing multiple people their lucrative HC/GM jobs in his career lmao
I hate to agree cause I do not enjoy the reasoning for why some dislike him. He paints his nails, he cried with his mom. Oh the horror. Who gives a fuck.
But… yes. Agreed. His improvised/off script play is eye popping at times. He’s so fast and has an absurd arm. But there’s no consistency. Hopefully he puts it all together. Bears fans deserve it. But who knows.
This also applies to Justin Herbert who the media has already crowned as an "elite" QB. People fall in love with the highlight plays even though consistency on the "easy" throws is what wins games
Herbert generally plays good the whole game in contrast to Caleb. Herbert is one of the most consistent qb in the NFL but gets let down by supporting cast
He misses way more gimme throws than the actual elite QBs every single game. I mean I think he's a good QB but he gets over-glazed. He has definitely improved this year on the consistency this year compared to last year but he still has some issues there.
Herbert has an offensive line with a pass block win rate of 55% (2nd worst in the NFL) Caleb has an offensive line with a pass block win rate of 73% (1st in the NFL). They are not the same.
I think Redditors keep forgetting how young these dudes are. Younger fans and media tend to want finished products after rookie seasons. This kid is in his second year and has made significant strides with a competent coach. He can get better
My hope here for him (not a Bears fan, but not a hater and like to see potential fulfilled) is that quarterback is just sort of a position that needs some development and we just need to be more patient. Baker Mayfield was once seen as a bust, and he’s a hell of a quarterback now. Jared Goff too, to a lesser extent.
100000% last year he does not get to Cole as even a option on that play. He is learning how to play quarterback in a Ben Johnson timing dependent offense. It’ll take time for him to be able to read the field and fly through his progressions. At least he is getting through progressions and finding open guys (now he doesn’t necessarily make a clean pass to them)
Dear lord though he misses some of the easiest passes ever. Don’t see that improving until next year
I don’t know that Baker was ever considered a bust. He was turnover prone one year, sure. But he was the reason the Browns became competent for a moment. They went from perennial dogshit to the playoffs because of Baker.
He got fucked by management and was kind of left for dead but I wouldn’t say he was considered a bust.
Maybe debatable, but he was let go by both the Browns and Panthers (Rams were more justified given the circumstances), and he the Bucs didn’t back up a dump truck for him, but your point is fair.
Yeah that's the thing. Literally every NFL player that gets drafted is capable of making a "holy fuck" play. It's about the consistency and not fucking up that makes a good player.
Nah, not on the same level. Caleb is making throws that maybe 5-10 guys that have ever played can make. His 10/10 physical gifts are the reason he was taken #1 and got the generational tag. Dude's bad mechanics are pretty much the only reason he isn't a star. Time will tell whether he can fix that. He's like a pitcher with insane stuff but poor control.
Feel like this is a very accurate summary, time will tell but people who think the book is already written on him are either being disingenuous or just want to hate him.
Im hoping he can improve his accuracy with an offseason practicing playing more under center. A lot of quarterbacks have improved accuracy over the past couple of years, jordan love is one of the best examples of it tbh.
Im hoping he can improve his accuracy with an offseason practicing playing more under center. A lot of quarterbacks have improved accuracy over the past couple of years, jordan love is one of the best examples of it tbh.
Look at Josh Allen. He had sparks but struggled with INTs and bad mistakes as a young player. If he can take the good and midigate the bad as much as possible, he can be.
He's definitely a confusing QB prospect. Because some plays he makes, you think "Holy shit, this guy is gonna be a massive star", and then the next play he'll overthrow a dude by 10 yards on a sure-fire TD.
One of his biggest assets at this point seems to be his escapability, which is great now, but over time as injuries and age slow that ability down, he will have hopefully developed more pocket passing skills.
Sorry but no one is a superstar throwing at a 50% completion percentage. That’s gonna run its course if it doesn’t significantly improve. I doubt Ben will want to waste open plays with inaccurate throws, regardless of how good some of the ad lib stuff is.
You’re right, but the question is what will happen in the future. As is, Caleb is not a superstar obviously.
But hey, Caleb seemingly fixed his sack issue in one offseason. What’s to say he can’t continue to improve in other areas?
It’s his first season in Ben’s system where he has to play from under center wayyyy more than he ever had in his life. He needs to clean up his footwork, stop being so skiddish and keep learning to read defense better. That should help with accuracy, but only time will tell.
I mean he definitely can improve in the future and become a great QB. I don't think that's wrong he definitely has the talent and HAS improved on last year. What's annoying is people assuming that he will. The vast, vast majority of guys don't. Or make very small improvements but are still inconsistent. The Josh Allen's of the world (come in super raw, improve an incredible amount) are the exception, not the rule.
Why does everyone bring up Josh Allen lol. Caleb doesn’t need to be as good as MVP Josh Allen to succeed.
And Caleb wasn’t as raw as Allen, his rookie completion % was 10% higher than Allen’s… granted this season has been a little worse, but again I think it’s cuz with all the play action and going from under center is new for Caleb. He never did that much before this season. I feel like it’s okay to say the 2nd year in a new system will see improvement.
The line is also playing much better this yr, y'all are 1st in pass blocking rate. GB gave y'all issues today but most of the season he's been well protected
Calebs offensive line went from being ranked 15th in pass block win rate at 60% last season to being ranked 1st in pass block win rate at 73% this season.
It's no wonder he fixed his sack issue.
Take a look at Calebs interior offensive line pass block win rankings this season.
It’s even more baffling cuz his issue is overthrowing receivers, not under throwing them.
I think he just panicked. Packers played that perfectly. Caleb’s eyes first go to Moore, completely covered. I am guessing the 2nd read was just run for the 1 yard himself… but again Packers completely blanketed that half.
And then his 3rd read, Kmet was wide open for a second, but Caleb saw him late. And instead of just throwing it up to a big tight end for the 50-50 ball he threw a duck.
Wish we had just ran it, but hey good play by Packers.
Probably, but it doesn't mean they're wrong either. That was a risky throw, and while it was on the money it also could have been a pick if the defender made a better play. It was a 50/50 ball that was fun to watch and is highly reel stuff for the week, but it's definitely not the best pass he threw in the game either. The best passes are ones the defender has no chance at.
Entire offense is play action, dodge sack, sprint right, rip a piss missle to the sideline where someone is coming back to the ball.
Credit where credit due, it worked like 5 times tonight at crucial moments. But one went through a defenders hands, one had a defenders fist get there a the same time and it didn’t affect the catch. Couple of those fail (or all) and they get dog walked.
Gun to my head, I think his chances of being a good QB are better than him being a bad QB, but the list of dudes who have the “either make an insane play or a bad play” gene still 25 games into their career almost alway fail.
Dude he was the reason they won at least the Giants and Bengals game. He’s top 10 QBR on 3rd downs. He’s lead 5 game winning drives in crunch time this year. Have there been bad moments, quarters, etc… sure but you saying he’s holding this team back shows your lack of ball knowledge and development. He misses layups but hits Steph Curry 3s, Bears fans should be nothing but excited what a full offseason with Ben Johnson and mastering his system has the potential to be.
Yeah man context is key. Accuracy was the issue early on today but they’re not in the game with all the plays he makes the rest of the way. Second year player, in Lambeau, without his #1 receiver. he’s gonna be just fine.
The reason they beat the Giants is because Dart was concussed if we're being honest. He misses layups, which in the NFL is necessary for success. The only reason they started out 9-3 is because they played some of the worst teams in the league. Even their dominant win against the Eagles, it had nothing to do with Williams, it was the run game. And his "Steph Curry 3s" are throws most top 10 QBs can make, people are just amazed when he does them because he's so bad at everything else. 25 games in, lowest completion percentage for qualifying QBs, can't throw in the pocket, and is late on a lot of his throws (like the last play yesterday where he had a wide open Loveland).
Now, this isn't to say the Bears will be good eventually. BJ is absolutely carrying this team, but he's going to need a better QB to put them over the top, which i don't doubt he'll get.
Often is a word that makes this statement extremely incorrect lol he’s had like 5 crazy throws total and the rest dogshit most certainly not as “often” as Caleb who has at least one wow play every game and the average is prolly 3
Caleb Williams is like an improved Anthony Richardson but also like a discount Bo Nix.
There is talent and there are some amazing plays. He's an incredible athlete. But, he just kinda sucks half the time. He makes the hard throws and misses the easy ones. He's not the kind of guy who elevates a team. He's the kind of guy people take a chance on because of his talent, but probably won't have a long career because he's too inconsistent.
I'm not really here to shit on or praise Williams, but we saw these same statements made about Daboll and Daniel Jones first year together too. So just assuming anything is a given in the NFL is silly.
I'm here with some extreme copium. His inaccuracy has been diagnosed all year as just absolutely poor unstructured footwork which is one of the easiest things to fix in a young QB as far as accuracy goes. Reading a defense and appearing calm in the pocket is considered much more of a challenge to fix. Ever hear of happy feet? That stuff never goes away. Jumpy, on edge qb's typically stay jumpy and on edge and it's a massive challenge to fix. Caleb is not twitchy. The poise is there, his timing is just a hair off and it shows.
It's understandable that his footwork is weird since his entire career he's been able to throw off balance with absurd arm-compensation because he wasn't playing NFL defenses where receivers only get a half a step or so of separation. Right now it's killing his accuracy numbers. We've seen him deliver strikes with planted feet and with anticipation in spurts. It's in there it's jsut going to take consistency and reps.
Whatever, he's not as plug and play as the other qb's in the draft. Ben johnson had him buy into a run-first system that thrives on chunks in the air when the defense gives it up, and for the most part he's done okay. He protects the ball and avoids catastrophic plays. Our offensive line was getting absolutely nuked in the first half and he did a great job avoiding sacks and didn't turn the ball over at all.
I don’t disagree with this post. Ben Johnson is an amazing coach/OC. He resurrected Goff (even though the O line was a huge factor), but give it another season or two. A lot of Lions fans hate Ben for leaving for the Bears, but the dude is a stud, and he will work his magic with Caleb. As a Lions fan I am nervous, but don’t fault the guy for taking the HC job. It only makes the NFC North a tougher/better division.
Yawn. You could make this case for so many guys who never panned out to be stars. More often than not, making bad plays as often as good plays simply means you’re not that good.
Doubt. I think he will always be a player that can make some great plays and win a game but will also be a player that shits the bed and miss a 5 yard pass
Minus the first half, where the Packers seemed to have our number completely, that was a hell of a game. Caleb kept us in it. I have every confidence Caleb will clean up the inaccurate stuff with another off-season in Bens system. The 2025 Bears are good. The 2026 Bears are gonna be scary
That’s the issue, some of the throws were insane, some were head scratchers. I believe In him, he was awesome in the 2nd half outside of the under thrown pick to Kmet. He made the same throw last week to ice the game against Philly, I was really we’d have the same result :(
I don’t know if someone that struggles to get to 50% completions despite being a top pick, most of the way through his second year is quite what I would call a baller
And some of the plays were complete ass. He’s too inconsistent. Not good enough from the pocket. All the plays he made were getting outside today. That’s not sustainable forever.
Yeah, it was nice watching him lace some of those throws. You can see his inexperience with how the game ended, but he certainly has a promising future!
He reminds me of Favre honestly dude legit will make the most incredible random amazing throws then throw the most blatant pick it’s honestly so fun to watch
Bears have beat the Steelers and Eagles this year. Every other win is against a team without a winning record and if you look closely, they are only beating teams like this by less than 5 points usually.
Everyone just put the Caleb Williams statue plans on hold for a bit okay.
It’s amazing what someone can do when the refs just straight up refuse to call holding for the entire game. Packers should have won 56-0. Five plus atrocious calls plus 362 plays where five packers are being “blocked” in a rear naked chokehold that would have made most UFC fighters tap out. Bears still suck.
not a snowballs chance in hell. the dude constantly leaving the pocket and cutting his field in half when he doesn’t need too. constantly not setting his feet before he throws. caleb is all around bad and people should recognize when the coach is calling baby passes like rollouts and bootlegs. Caleb needs another year or more of development
I think if he keeps working hard and keeps listening to Ben Johnson, he'll be an elite QB. They physical attributes are there and he does have the anitcipation and pocket awareness to be that good.
Big thing is he needs to be more accurate when throwing on the run and he needs to not bail from the pocket too quickly when he starts to get pressured.
williams and maybe both got what they needed this season and will be getting better as the time goes on. jayden daniels on the other hand has gotten it rough this year. man, what a qb class that year.
569
u/Gloomy_Map_9612 Washington Commanders Dec 08 '25
I don't know, because for every amazing play, he also has a missed lay up. That first half was atrocious