NFL QB inventory report, Week 11: Caleb Williams’ flaws have adopted him from faculty

The Chicago Bears’ midseason offensive regression has raised considerations over Caleb Williams’ long-term viability as a franchise quarterback.

It’s essential to be measured with this evaluation, particularly for Bears followers who’ve seen this film just a few occasions earlier than. First, it’s honest to be crucial of Williams’ latest flaws. Second, it’s additionally honest to level out that the struggles should not completely Williams’ fault. And third, let’s not be hasty in burying a 22-year-old with 9 profession begins.

Williams has taken a league-high 38 sacks partially as a result of he’s holding the ball too lengthy and failing to belief his reads. However there have additionally been predictable points with the offensive line, together with flaws in play designs (route spacing and timing) and play calls. Williams’ 15 sacks over the previous two video games are greater than three groups have allowed all season — the obvious signal of diminished confidence.

“He’s doing the identical issues he did in faculty when it comes to holding the ball and being inconsistent together with his reads,” a rival government mentioned. “He might get away with working round, throwing the ball up for grabs, throwing throughout his physique, and he had some success doing that. You don’t get away with that on the NFL degree too usually. I’m a bit stunned they haven’t been in a position to clear a few of this up.”

One other government corroborated that analysis.

“Their capacity to guard him was going to be the query,” the second government mentioned. “He all the time held the ball too lengthy, so you must decrease pure dropback conditions and help him with a run sport, which improves the influence of your RPO, QB motion and play motion.”

Williams was a magician at USC, drumming up comparisons to Patrick Mahomes together with his off-schedule playmaking capacity, and a few of that has been on show with the Bears. Problematically, nonetheless, Williams appears to be relying an excessive amount of on the improvisational stuff. It’s frequent for younger quarterbacks to revert to their most snug tendencies when the strain ratchets up, and that’s led to a few of Williams’ issues.

99 + 41 = the fifth Pats sack immediately ‼️

📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/ppqt8toDbk

— New England Patriots (@Patriots) November 10, 2024

To fight that, the Bears have to proactively discover methods to make Williams snug earlier than issues naturally change into tense. The purpose is to assist him play with out overthinking, to anticipate the throws reasonably than ready to see the routes develop and to maintain the offense on schedule.

That’s simpler mentioned than carried out, in fact.

“It’s actually robust, in all probability one of the crucial troublesome issues to do particularly with a man like that who’s so used to holding it and working round to increase performs,” an offensive coach mentioned. “It’s simply repetition and emphasis. And in some unspecified time in the future, it has to click on. There’s actually no straightforward approach. It’s a course of.

“They should run some stuff that he’s snug with as properly and provides him some alternatives to increase issues. It’s an enormous problem, regardless.”

The coach chalked it up primarily as “typical rookie” struggles with the timing and confidence in his reads, though the Bears’ offensive scheme wants enchancment. Bears coach Matt Eberflus mentioned Monday the group is evaluating whether or not offensive coordinator Shane Waldron will stay in his function because the play caller.

The protection was buzzing yesterday.@MikeDussault19 highlights the important thing contributors on the defensive aspect: https://t.co/TaT3E6RuXA pic.twitter.com/q9fL97HvpU

— New England Patriots (@Patriots) November 11, 2024

Williams’ points have been magnified by one other issue. The Bears’ three-game dropping streak has included video games towards rookies Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye, each of whom have performed very properly and stay on an upward trajectory.

“The expectations on him had been so excessive,” the coach mentioned. “No approach he was going to have the ability to match these.”

It’s sufficient for Bears followers to have flashbacks of Mitch Trubisky and Justin Fields, extremely drafted QBs who didn’t pan out due to poor evaluations or dangerous general conditions. Williams has the expertise, but it surely’s on the group to totally domesticate it.

They had been heading in the right direction for some time, enhancing to 4-2 after posting 71 factors in back-to-back wins towards the Panthers and Jaguars, however the group — and the offense particularly — has been flat since Daniels beat them with a Hail Mary in Week 8. The lull has uncovered points that stretch past the rookie quarterback.

Williams’ thrilling flashes recommend sufficient expertise exists for him to nonetheless develop right into a bona fide franchise quarterback. He was the consensus No. 1 choose earlier than the draft for a litany of causes, so the Bears’ analysis holds up.

However they’ve obtained to maintain working with Williams to make sure it really works out the best way they envisioned.

Hey, Darnold

Sam Darnold is delivering one of the best season of his profession, as coach Kevin O’Connell has tapped into the potential that made the QB the No. 3 choose in 2018. In all chance, Darnold has been productive sufficient that he’ll be the highest quarterback in free company, which implies a monster contract must be in his future.

Nonetheless, Darnold endured the kind of efficiency Sunday towards the Jaguars that can gasoline skepticism because the Vikings gear up for the playoffs. He was 24-of-38 for 241 yards passing with no touchdowns and three interceptions.

The three picks had been egregious. The primary was simply exterior the pink zone, whereas the opposite pair occurred ultimately zone. Darnold was focusing on wideout Justin Jefferson on all three.

Darnold merely must play inside himself to achieve success. The Vikings have an excellent protection, stars on the ability positions, a complementary working sport and a high-level, QB-friendly scheme.

Darnell Savage brings in our third INT of the day!@darnellsavage_ | #MINvsJAX on FOX pic.twitter.com/Ch7HAtKn2h

— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) November 10, 2024

The 27-year-old merely has to make the performs which are accessible to him and keep protected with the ball. His accuracy was erratic all through the 12-7 victory in Jacksonville, and all three interceptions took factors off the board.

Worse, this was towards a woeful Jaguars protection that entered the sport ranked third worst in factors allowed and second worst in each complete yards and passing yards. They’d two — sure, two — interceptions all season and allowed a minimum of 28 factors in 5 of their earlier seven video games.

Possibly it was only a dangerous day. Everybody has them. Tom Brady had three interceptions in 9 video games.

But when the Vikings are going to make any noise within the playoffs towards a lot more durable defenses than the Jaguars, Darnold needs to be a lot better and show this was a fluke. If that occurs, he’ll land a life-changing contract within the offseason.

Ripple results in Jacksonville

The Jaguars have misplaced 13 of their final 16 video games, and Trevor Lawrence was regressing earlier than the left shoulder damage that stored him out Sunday. And the protection has gotten worse after head coach Doug Pederson made some offseason employees firings, which is a mix of things that usually leads to additional change.

If the Jaguars are within the teaching market after the season, a few rival executives agreed Jacksonville might be a chief spot.

“You get to work with Trevor and attempt to assist him put all of it again collectively,” one of many executives mentioned. “He hasn’t been nice, however I nonetheless assume he has all of the instruments to be a superb quarterback. That’s going to be a job individuals ought to need.”

Lawrence signed a five-year, $275 million contract earlier than coaching camp, however his numbers have trended within the fallacious route for the second season in a row. There have been points with the Jaguars’ floor sport and a myriad of errors littered all through the offense, together with drops and penalties which have plagued the group for the higher a part of two years.

The purpose is, Lawrence shouldn’t be shouldering a lot of the blame. It might be a chore for any quarterback to play properly in that state of affairs. And there’s no denying how properly he performed in 2022, together with how a lot the Jaguars constantly rallied round him from late deficits.

No, Lawrence hasn’t lived as much as the pre-draft hype as a generational kind of quarterback, however nobody can do it alone. If the Jaguars enhance the operation round him, they’ll maximize the return on funding.

Quick time period, if Lawrence continues to overlook time, this presents an intriguing alternative for Mac Jones. He didn’t play properly towards the Vikings, however Minnesota defensive coordinator Brian Flores has made life hell for Brock Purdy, C.J. Stroud, Jordan Love and Aaron Rodgers this season. You’ll need to excuse Jones for a pedestrian outing in his first begin with a brand new group within the tenth sport of the season.

Problematically for Jones, although, the Jaguars go to the Lions this week after which come out of their bye towards the Texans. That’s a grueling stretch for the previous first-round choose who’s hoping to make use of this as an audition for subsequent season.

Jones might capitalize if Lawrence’s absence lasts longer, because the Jags shut the season with the Titans, Jets, Raiders, Titans and Colts. If Jones can put collectively some good tape, he might work his approach right into a camp competitors towards a younger QB, just like the best way Baker Mayfield, Geno Smith and Darnold have lately revived their careers. In any other case, Jones will possible stay on the backup circuit for some time longer.

(Picture of Caleb Williams: Christian Petersen / Getty Photographs)