“He has to erase a decade”: Dan Orlovsky breaks down Caleb Williams’ biggest challenge with Bears

NFL: Chicago Bears Training Camp - Source: Imagn
NFL: Chicago Bears Training Camp - Source: Imagn

Caleb Williams is entering his second season with the Chicago Bears. The 2022 Heisman Trophy winner is one of the most promising quarterbacks in professional football, and he's looking to lead the Bears back into postseason contention.

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Williams is participating in training camp and looking to acclimate with the revamped Bears roster. With that underway, NFL analyst Dan Orlovsky went into detail about areas Williams needs to improve on while speaking on "NFL on ESPN":

"Getting off of the first progression and moving on. Building in that timing, building in that rhythm, and then, the placement of the throw. Being elite while you're playing in the rhythm of the pass game; that's the hiccup that has always been Caleb's back in OU, then to USC and then to his rookie year.
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"It's fixable, but it is not gonna happen in September. He has to erase a decade worth of playing a certain style of football and rebuild the habits."

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Williams was brought in to end years of unimpressive offensive play in Chicago. in his rookie season, Williams flashed brilliance, but there is still some way to go if the Bears are to start winning close games.

In the last decade, the franchise has struggled at QB, with Justin Fields, Nick Foles, Mitchell Trubisky and Jay Cutler not getting it done under center. The task of banishing a rough decade will be shared by new head coach Ben Johnson.

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Caleb Williams and HC Ben Johnson will look to end the Bears' postseason woes

The Chicago Bears selected Caleb Williams with the first overall pick of the 2024 NFL draft. Williams was the consensus first overall pick after enjoying a stellar collegiate football career with the Oklahoma Sooners and USC Trojans. He was compared to three-time Super Bowl champion Patrick Mahomes due to his impressive passing ability and winning mentality.

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Williams posted four wins in his first six NFL games. However, the Bears' fortunes took a steep decline after their loss to the Washington Commanders in their seventh game of the campaign. They won just one game for the rest of the season and ended with a 5-12 record. Williams ended his rookie season with a stat line of 3,541 passing yards, 20 touchdowns, and six interceptions.

The franchise failed to make the postseason for the fourth year running, with Chicago last making the playoffs in the 2020 season. The Bears are without a playoff win since the 2010 season, when they made it to the NFC championship game before losing to division rivals, the Green Bay Packers, at Soldier Field.

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The Bears identified flaws and areas to improve, and hired former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson as their new head coach. Johnson is well-known for his creative play-calling, and that should help Williams ascend to a new level in Year 2.

Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears have their season opener against the Minnesota Vikings in September and, with a revamped roster, will fancy their chances at getting back into the postseason.

Chicago Bears Nation! Check out the latest Chicago Bears Schedule and dive into the Bears Depth Chart for NFL Season 2024-25.

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Edited by John Maxwell
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