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QB Caleb Williams, CHI (2 Viewers)

And yes a better OL will help, no question. That ain't the full problem here.
I fully agree.

part of it is hes a kid who hasnt fully adapted to the NFL game.

All I am saying is that the weak line is not helping his development. and I'd say that is 100% true. the adaptation to the NFL game is far easier if you have a decent line to play behind. The learning curve is not as steep when you have more time to throw the ball.

in the end, he needs to adapt, but adapting is easier when you play behind a good line which I would argue is more important to a developing QB than it is to a veteran.
 
In time, I still think he can develope into being a great, mature passer like Jayden Daniels. People just need to be patient. He's a rookie.
 
And yes a better OL will help, no question. That ain't the full problem here.
I fully agree.

part of it is hes a kid who hasnt fully adapted to the NFL game.

All I am saying is that the weak line is not helping his development. and I'd say that is 100% true. the adaptation to the NFL game is far easier if you have a decent line to play behind. The learning curve is not as steep when you have more time to throw the ball.

in the end, he needs to adapt, but adapting is easier when you play behind a good line which I would argue is more important to a developing QB than it is to a veteran.

Yes. A great deal of this is the easy one - the game is just really difficult at this level. It's a big jump, even from a program like USC.
 
Since 2021, Caleb Williams ranks 106th (63.6%, dead last) in :
Catchable Throw Rate excluding screens and 104th in Pressure to Sack Rate (30.6%, dead last).
One of the worst QB seasons in recent memory
 
And yes a better OL will help, no question. That ain't the full problem here.
I fully agree.

part of it is hes a kid who hasnt fully adapted to the NFL game.

All I am saying is that the weak line is not helping his development. and I'd say that is 100% true. the adaptation to the NFL game is far easier if you have a decent line to play behind. The learning curve is not as steep when you have more time to throw the ball.

in the end, he needs to adapt, but adapting is easier when you play behind a good line which I would argue is more important to a developing QB than it is to a veteran.

A lot of his sacks over the past couple of games have been after holding onto the ball for 4-5 seconds. That is not on the O-line. As they all like to say, "defenses get paid too."

Caleb is completely lost right now. The Bears should sit him ROS and start fresh 2025 w/ a whole new coaching staff.
 
wasn't really sold on him, atleast not for the fantasy capital that was being used on him in QB1 leagues. There was just something that seemed off to me; crying like a baby on national TV to where his mother had to cover him up and the fingernail painting... just didn't scream NFL leader to me.
 
Since 2021, Caleb Williams ranks 106th (63.6%, dead last) in :
Catchable Throw Rate excluding screens and 104th in Pressure to Sack Rate (30.6%, dead last).
One of the worst QB seasons in recent memory
That would also include the Trevor Lawrence/Urban Meyer experience, so that's a pretty low result.
 
I bet this is frustrating to SF owners who took him 1.01. He holds on to the all too long.
It seems so. But there was the game vs JAX where he showed talent, tight window throws, quicker release. That's the hope. One more week for me as my backup in redraft, if it doesn't get better, then I need a week 14 replacement. Hard to find in bigger leagues.
 
Might have been mentioned, but his fantasy schedule to finish season is brutal. Brutal. He hit waivers in both my leagues, but damn that schedule is brutal.
 
And yes a better OL will help, no question. That ain't the full problem here.
I fully agree.

part of it is hes a kid who hasnt fully adapted to the NFL game.

All I am saying is that the weak line is not helping his development. and I'd say that is 100% true. the adaptation to the NFL game is far easier if you have a decent line to play behind. The learning curve is not as steep when you have more time to throw the ball.

in the end, he needs to adapt, but adapting is easier when you play behind a good line which I would argue is more important to a developing QB than it is to a veteran.

A lot of his sacks over the past couple of games have been after holding onto the ball for 4-5 seconds. That is not on the O-line. As they all like to say, "defenses get paid too."

Caleb is completely lost right now. The Bears should sit him ROS and start fresh 2025 w/ a whole new coaching staff.
LOL. You clearly haven't watched a game. Caleb is holding onto the ball too long, but the OL is absolute garbage. With injuries and cutting dead weight (looking at you Nate Davis), they were down to 6 OL on the team. On plays with a 5 man rush or more, the OL are playing like turnstiles and Caleb has to get out and make plays with his feet.
 
It's Waddle and Silvy but they're reporting some vets wanted Williams benched.

Blasphemy ;)

Are you a packers fan or something? lol This is like the third snarky comment seeming to enjoy negativity around Williams. Seems really odd IMO.

Seems odd you'd find it odd. Waddle and Silvy reported some vets wanted Williams benched. I don't think there's any way that will happen as the narrative is this is mostly a coaching problem. Thus "blasphemy ;) "

I thought I'd been pretty reasonable in this thread. Last comment was, "A great deal of this is the easy one - the game is just really difficult at this level. It's a big jump, even from a program like USC."

:shrug:
 
Last edited:
It's Waddle and Silvy but they're reporting some vets wanted Williams benched.

Blasphemy ;)

Are you a packers fan or something? lol This is like the third snarky comment seeming to enjoy negativity around Williams. Seems really odd IMO.

Seems odd you'd find it odd. Waddle and Silvy reported some vets wanted Williams benched. I don't think there's any way that will happen as the narrative is this is 100% a coaching problem. Thus "blasphemy ;) "

I thought I'd been pretty reasonable in this thread. Last comment was, "A great deal of this is the easy one - the game is just really difficult at this level. It's a big jump, even from a program like USC."

:shrug:
I do not see a lot of people saying it is 100% coaching, but I see the argument that they have not helped the cause.
 
It's Waddle and Silvy but they're reporting some vets wanted Williams benched.

Blasphemy ;)

Are you a packers fan or something? lol This is like the third snarky comment seeming to enjoy negativity around Williams. Seems really odd IMO.

Seems odd you'd find it odd. Waddle and Silvy reported some vets wanted Williams benched. I don't think there's any way that will happen as the narrative is this is 100% a coaching problem. Thus "blasphemy ;) "

I thought I'd been pretty reasonable in this thread. Last comment was, "A great deal of this is the easy one - the game is just really difficult at this level. It's a big jump, even from a program like USC."

:shrug:
I do not see a lot of people saying it is 100% coaching, but I see the argument that they have not helped the cause.
Correct. I don't think any fan thinks it's 100% coaching. I should have said mostly coaching. I'll update.
 
It's Waddle and Silvy but they're reporting some vets wanted Williams benched.

Blasphemy ;)

Are you a packers fan or something? lol This is like the third snarky comment seeming to enjoy negativity around Williams. Seems really odd IMO.

Seems odd you'd find it odd. Waddle and Silvy reported some vets wanted Williams benched. I don't think there's any way that will happen as the narrative is this is mostly a coaching problem. Thus "blasphemy ;) "

I thought I'd been pretty reasonable in this thread. Last comment was, "A great deal of this is the easy one - the game is just really difficult at this level. It's a big jump, even from a program like USC."

:shrug:
I wouldn’t call USC a hotbed for QBs. Carson Palmer 2002? Look at the mediocre QBs from that school.
 
It's Waddle and Silvy but they're reporting some vets wanted Williams benched.

Blasphemy ;)

Are you a packers fan or something? lol This is like the third snarky comment seeming to enjoy negativity around Williams. Seems really odd IMO.

Seems odd you'd find it odd. Waddle and Silvy reported some vets wanted Williams benched. I don't think there's any way that will happen as the narrative is this is mostly a coaching problem. Thus "blasphemy ;) "

I thought I'd been pretty reasonable in this thread. Last comment was, "A great deal of this is the easy one - the game is just really difficult at this level. It's a big jump, even from a program like USC."

:shrug:
I wouldn’t call USC a hotbed for QBs. Carson Palmer 2002? Look at the mediocre QBs from that school.

But it was a top program and he faced top talent. My point is making the step to the NFL is super hard. Even from a program like USC.
 
It's Waddle and Silvy but they're reporting some vets wanted Williams benched.

Blasphemy ;)

Are you a packers fan or something? lol This is like the third snarky comment seeming to enjoy negativity around Williams. Seems really odd IMO.

Seems odd you'd find it odd. Waddle and Silvy reported some vets wanted Williams benched. I don't think there's any way that will happen as the narrative is this is mostly a coaching problem. Thus "blasphemy ;) "

I thought I'd been pretty reasonable in this thread. Last comment was, "A great deal of this is the easy one - the game is just really difficult at this level. It's a big jump, even from a program like USC."

:shrug:

We live in such a "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE FOR ME LATELY" society that it just becomes the norm to trash athletes (and others in the spotlight) when they struggle or aren't "IT" right off the bat. For all the love and lionization that Jayden Daniels has heaped on him (rightfully so) he didn't light the world on fire last night in primetime. He was wildly inaccurate at times, threw a pick, bobbled snaps, got stopped on designed runs, got sacked a few times and I don't hear anybody howling for his OC to get fired or the OL sucks. He gets a pass, apparently.

Meanwhile, as was pointed out in here, Caleb had a three game stretch where he looked fantastic, including his 4TD day against Jax. It's not like Caleb inherited a playoff ready team, the Bears were awful and have been awful. He showed us glimpses of how good he can be, but has recently had some struggles. FIRE EVERYBODY! I think it would be a colossal mistake to bench Williams now. The team isn't going to the playoffs and really wasn't expected to in that division. But he's had some good games, some clunker games and a really awful game last week.....you know, like a rookie QB in the NFL.

Anyhow, I think you've been more level headed on Caleb in here than most. I'm a fan of his and have been since I first watched him in college. I made plays for him in dynasty and have no regrets. Maybe the new OC can help him use his weapons a little more efficiently, lean on his run game and get him to get rid of the ball faster. Steve Young had to work HARD to become a pocket passer as his nature was to scramble and run so it took him time and work to get there. Maybe give Caleb some of the same coaching and time because the talent is there, no doubt about it. His arm strength and ability to throw are otherworldly.

If only you weren't such a Packer homer, you'd maybe see that too. ;)
 
It's Waddle and Silvy but they're reporting some vets wanted Williams benched.

Blasphemy ;)

Are you a packers fan or something? lol This is like the third snarky comment seeming to enjoy negativity around Williams. Seems really odd IMO.

Seems odd you'd find it odd. Waddle and Silvy reported some vets wanted Williams benched. I don't think there's any way that will happen as the narrative is this is mostly a coaching problem. Thus "blasphemy ;) "

I thought I'd been pretty reasonable in this thread. Last comment was, "A great deal of this is the easy one - the game is just really difficult at this level. It's a big jump, even from a program like USC."

:shrug:
I wouldn’t call USC a hotbed for QBs. Carson Palmer 2002? Look at the mediocre QBs from that school.

Sure, you can make that argument, but you are forgetting that Matt Leinart was a first round pick, Matt Barkley would have been a first round pick had he come out early, Cody Kessler was a 3rd round pick, Sam Darnold taken #3 overall, and then some not so good QBs before Williams arrived. Not all QBs pan out at the next level, but to say USC isn't good at producing QBs isn't accurate. How have the QBs from Ohio State done (outside of Stroud)? Or Georgia (outside of Stafford)?
 
It's Waddle and Silvy but they're reporting some vets wanted Williams benched.

Blasphemy ;)

Are you a packers fan or something? lol This is like the third snarky comment seeming to enjoy negativity around Williams. Seems really odd IMO.

Seems odd you'd find it odd. Waddle and Silvy reported some vets wanted Williams benched. I don't think there's any way that will happen as the narrative is this is mostly a coaching problem. Thus "blasphemy ;) "

I thought I'd been pretty reasonable in this thread. Last comment was, "A great deal of this is the easy one - the game is just really difficult at this level. It's a big jump, even from a program like USC."

:shrug:
I wouldn’t call USC a hotbed for QBs. Carson Palmer 2002? Look at the mediocre QBs from that school.

But it was a top program and he faced top talent. My point is making the step to the NFL is super hard. Even from a program like USC.

And, let's not forget he yanked that starting job from Spencer Rattler as a true freshman at OU and never gave it back. OU played some pretty good schools that season too.....
 
It's Waddle and Silvy but they're reporting some vets wanted Williams benched.

Blasphemy ;)

Are you a packers fan or something? lol This is like the third snarky comment seeming to enjoy negativity around Williams. Seems really odd IMO.

Seems odd you'd find it odd. Waddle and Silvy reported some vets wanted Williams benched. I don't think there's any way that will happen as the narrative is this is mostly a coaching problem. Thus "blasphemy ;) "

I thought I'd been pretty reasonable in this thread. Last comment was, "A great deal of this is the easy one - the game is just really difficult at this level. It's a big jump, even from a program like USC."

:shrug:
I wouldn’t call USC a hotbed for QBs. Carson Palmer 2002? Look at the mediocre QBs from that school.

Sure, you can make that argument, but you are forgetting that Matt Leinart was a first round pick, Matt Barkley would have been a first round pick had he come out early, Cody Kessler was a 3rd round pick, Sam Darnold taken #3 overall, and then some not so good QBs before Williams arrived. Not all QBs pan out at the next level, but to say USC isn't good at producing QBs isn't accurate. How have the QBs from Ohio State done (outside of Stroud)? Or Georgia (outside of Stafford)?
Those QBs you mentioned are mediocre and some are below mediocre. USC hasn't produced a decent QB since 2002. At least Stroud and Stafford are within the last two decades.
 
It's Waddle and Silvy but they're reporting some vets wanted Williams benched.

Blasphemy ;)

Are you a packers fan or something? lol This is like the third snarky comment seeming to enjoy negativity around Williams. Seems really odd IMO.

Seems odd you'd find it odd. Waddle and Silvy reported some vets wanted Williams benched. I don't think there's any way that will happen as the narrative is this is mostly a coaching problem. Thus "blasphemy ;) "

I thought I'd been pretty reasonable in this thread. Last comment was, "A great deal of this is the easy one - the game is just really difficult at this level. It's a big jump, even from a program like USC."

:shrug:
I wouldn’t call USC a hotbed for QBs. Carson Palmer 2002? Look at the mediocre QBs from that school.

Sure, you can make that argument, but you are forgetting that Matt Leinart was a first round pick, Matt Barkley would have been a first round pick had he come out early, Cody Kessler was a 3rd round pick, Sam Darnold taken #3 overall, and then some not so good QBs before Williams arrived. Not all QBs pan out at the next level, but to say USC isn't good at producing QBs isn't accurate. How have the QBs from Ohio State done (outside of Stroud)? Or Georgia (outside of Stafford)?
Those QBs you mentioned are mediocre and some are below mediocre. USC hasn't produced a decent QB since 2002. At least Stroud and Stafford are within the last two decades.
LOL - Sending QBs to the NFL is hard. OSU is 2 for 13 and the jury is still out on Stroud, whose metrics are down across the board from last year. Heck, Matt Cassel was more successful in the NFL than every OSU QB in the NFL except Stroud.
YEARNAMEROUNDRECORDCAREER STATISTICS
1982Art Schlichter10-61,006 yards, 3 TDs, 11 INTs
1985Mike Tomczak*FA42-3116,079 yards, 88 TDs, 106 INTs
1988Tom Tupa34-93,430 yards, 12 TDs, 25 INTs
1992Kent Graham817-217,801 yards, 39 TDs, 33 INTs
1996Bobby Hoying33-9-12,544 yards, 11 TDs, 15 INTs
1999Joe Germaine40-0136 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs
2004Craig Krenzel53-2718 yards, 3 TDs, 6 INTs
2007Troy Smith54-41,734 yards, 8 TDs, 5 INTs
2011Terrelle Pryor**33-71,994 yards, 9 TDs, 12 INTs
2016Cardale Jones40-096 yards, 0 TDs, 1 INT
2019Dwayne Haskins13-102,804 yards, 12 TDs, 14 INTs
2020Justin Fields15-244,973 yards, 31 TDs, 26 INTs
2023C.J. Stroud115-106,479 yards, 35 TDs, 11 INTs
 
It's Waddle and Silvy but they're reporting some vets wanted Williams benched.

Blasphemy ;)

Are you a packers fan or something? lol This is like the third snarky comment seeming to enjoy negativity around Williams. Seems really odd IMO.

Seems odd you'd find it odd. Waddle and Silvy reported some vets wanted Williams benched. I don't think there's any way that will happen as the narrative is this is mostly a coaching problem. Thus "blasphemy ;) "

I thought I'd been pretty reasonable in this thread. Last comment was, "A great deal of this is the easy one - the game is just really difficult at this level. It's a big jump, even from a program like USC."

:shrug:
I wouldn’t call USC a hotbed for QBs. Carson Palmer 2002? Look at the mediocre QBs from that school.

Sure, you can make that argument, but you are forgetting that Matt Leinart was a first round pick, Matt Barkley would have been a first round pick had he come out early, Cody Kessler was a 3rd round pick, Sam Darnold taken #3 overall, and then some not so good QBs before Williams arrived. Not all QBs pan out at the next level, but to say USC isn't good at producing QBs isn't accurate. How have the QBs from Ohio State done (outside of Stroud)? Or Georgia (outside of Stafford)?
Those QBs you mentioned are mediocre and some are below mediocre. USC hasn't produced a decent QB since 2002. At least Stroud and Stafford are within the last two decades.
LOL - Sending QBs to the NFL is hard. OSU is 2 for 13 and the jury is still out on Stroud, whose metrics are down across the board from last year. Heck, Matt Cassel was more successful in the NFL than every OSU QB in the NFL except Stroud.
YEARNAMEROUNDRECORDCAREER STATISTICS
1982Art Schlichter10-61,006 yards, 3 TDs, 11 INTs
1985Mike Tomczak*FA42-3116,079 yards, 88 TDs, 106 INTs
1988Tom Tupa34-93,430 yards, 12 TDs, 25 INTs
1992Kent Graham817-217,801 yards, 39 TDs, 33 INTs
1996Bobby Hoying33-9-12,544 yards, 11 TDs, 15 INTs
1999Joe Germaine40-0136 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs
2004Craig Krenzel53-2718 yards, 3 TDs, 6 INTs
2007Troy Smith54-41,734 yards, 8 TDs, 5 INTs
2011Terrelle Pryor**33-71,994 yards, 9 TDs, 12 INTs
2016Cardale Jones40-096 yards, 0 TDs, 1 INT
2019Dwayne Haskins13-102,804 yards, 12 TDs, 14 INTs
2020Justin Fields15-244,973 yards, 31 TDs, 26 INTs
2023C.J. Stroud115-106,479 yards, 35 TDs, 11 INTs
Don't deflect, USC QBs have sucked since 2002 and Carson Palmer was good, not great.
 
It's Waddle and Silvy but they're reporting some vets wanted Williams benched.

Blasphemy ;)

Are you a packers fan or something? lol This is like the third snarky comment seeming to enjoy negativity around Williams. Seems really odd IMO.

Seems odd you'd find it odd. Waddle and Silvy reported some vets wanted Williams benched. I don't think there's any way that will happen as the narrative is this is mostly a coaching problem. Thus "blasphemy ;) "

I thought I'd been pretty reasonable in this thread. Last comment was, "A great deal of this is the easy one - the game is just really difficult at this level. It's a big jump, even from a program like USC."

:shrug:
I wouldn’t call USC a hotbed for QBs. Carson Palmer 2002? Look at the mediocre QBs from that school.

Sure, you can make that argument, but you are forgetting that Matt Leinart was a first round pick, Matt Barkley would have been a first round pick had he come out early, Cody Kessler was a 3rd round pick, Sam Darnold taken #3 overall, and then some not so good QBs before Williams arrived. Not all QBs pan out at the next level, but to say USC isn't good at producing QBs isn't accurate. How have the QBs from Ohio State done (outside of Stroud)? Or Georgia (outside of Stafford)?
Those QBs you mentioned are mediocre and some are below mediocre. USC hasn't produced a decent QB since 2002. At least Stroud and Stafford are within the last two decades.
LOL - Sending QBs to the NFL is hard. OSU is 2 for 13 and the jury is still out on Stroud, whose metrics are down across the board from last year. Heck, Matt Cassel was more successful in the NFL than every OSU QB in the NFL except Stroud.
YEARNAMEROUNDRECORDCAREER STATISTICS
1982Art Schlichter10-61,006 yards, 3 TDs, 11 INTs
1985Mike Tomczak*FA42-3116,079 yards, 88 TDs, 106 INTs
1988Tom Tupa34-93,430 yards, 12 TDs, 25 INTs
1992Kent Graham817-217,801 yards, 39 TDs, 33 INTs
1996Bobby Hoying33-9-12,544 yards, 11 TDs, 15 INTs
1999Joe Germaine40-0136 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs
2004Craig Krenzel53-2718 yards, 3 TDs, 6 INTs
2007Troy Smith54-41,734 yards, 8 TDs, 5 INTs
2011Terrelle Pryor**33-71,994 yards, 9 TDs, 12 INTs
2016Cardale Jones40-096 yards, 0 TDs, 1 INT
2019Dwayne Haskins13-102,804 yards, 12 TDs, 14 INTs
2020Justin Fields15-244,973 yards, 31 TDs, 26 INTs
2023C.J. Stroud115-106,479 yards, 35 TDs, 11 INTs

One, please let's not LOL at other people's posts.

Another point though that interests me. It FEELS like while the jump to the NFL is still tough, it's more manageable now than it was in the past.

I remember it being pretty crazy Peyton Manning played as a rookie. (How he played is a whole other discussion).

But it seems like now with the CJ Strouds and Jayden Daniels (although we'll see), college QBs are much more ready to contribute than they have in the past.

Agree? Disagree?
 
It's Waddle and Silvy but they're reporting some vets wanted Williams benched.

Blasphemy ;)

Are you a packers fan or something? lol This is like the third snarky comment seeming to enjoy negativity around Williams. Seems really odd IMO.

Seems odd you'd find it odd. Waddle and Silvy reported some vets wanted Williams benched. I don't think there's any way that will happen as the narrative is this is mostly a coaching problem. Thus "blasphemy ;) "

I thought I'd been pretty reasonable in this thread. Last comment was, "A great deal of this is the easy one - the game is just really difficult at this level. It's a big jump, even from a program like USC."

:shrug:
I wouldn’t call USC a hotbed for QBs. Carson Palmer 2002? Look at the mediocre QBs from that school.

Sure, you can make that argument, but you are forgetting that Matt Leinart was a first round pick, Matt Barkley would have been a first round pick had he come out early, Cody Kessler was a 3rd round pick, Sam Darnold taken #3 overall, and then some not so good QBs before Williams arrived. Not all QBs pan out at the next level, but to say USC isn't good at producing QBs isn't accurate. How have the QBs from Ohio State done (outside of Stroud)? Or Georgia (outside of Stafford)?
Those QBs you mentioned are mediocre and some are below mediocre. USC hasn't produced a decent QB since 2002. At least Stroud and Stafford are within the last two decades.
LOL - Sending QBs to the NFL is hard. OSU is 2 for 13 and the jury is still out on Stroud, whose metrics are down across the board from last year. Heck, Matt Cassel was more successful in the NFL than every OSU QB in the NFL except Stroud.
YEARNAMEROUNDRECORDCAREER STATISTICS
1982Art Schlichter10-61,006 yards, 3 TDs, 11 INTs
1985Mike Tomczak*FA42-3116,079 yards, 88 TDs, 106 INTs
1988Tom Tupa34-93,430 yards, 12 TDs, 25 INTs
1992Kent Graham817-217,801 yards, 39 TDs, 33 INTs
1996Bobby Hoying33-9-12,544 yards, 11 TDs, 15 INTs
1999Joe Germaine40-0136 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs
2004Craig Krenzel53-2718 yards, 3 TDs, 6 INTs
2007Troy Smith54-41,734 yards, 8 TDs, 5 INTs
2011Terrelle Pryor**33-71,994 yards, 9 TDs, 12 INTs
2016Cardale Jones40-096 yards, 0 TDs, 1 INT
2019Dwayne Haskins13-102,804 yards, 12 TDs, 14 INTs
2020Justin Fields15-244,973 yards, 31 TDs, 26 INTs
2023C.J. Stroud115-106,479 yards, 35 TDs, 11 INTs
Don't deflect, USC QBs have sucked since 2002 and Carson Palmer was good, not great.
It's not deflection it's pointing out an obvious truth that very few college programs are regularly sending QBs to the NFL that turn out to be successful.

I know you know that is true but, for some reason you want to focus on one NCAA program as if that is some kind of benchmark for being bad at a position. Do you have something against USC?
 
I've heard people talk about it being a thing that high school QBs get more training and prep than in the past with all the camps and such. And they arrive to college more ready to play and then arrive to the NFL more ready. But wondered what you folks thought.
 
It's Waddle and Silvy but they're reporting some vets wanted Williams benched.

Blasphemy ;)

Are you a packers fan or something? lol This is like the third snarky comment seeming to enjoy negativity around Williams. Seems really odd IMO.

Seems odd you'd find it odd. Waddle and Silvy reported some vets wanted Williams benched. I don't think there's any way that will happen as the narrative is this is mostly a coaching problem. Thus "blasphemy ;) "

I thought I'd been pretty reasonable in this thread. Last comment was, "A great deal of this is the easy one - the game is just really difficult at this level. It's a big jump, even from a program like USC."

:shrug:
I wouldn’t call USC a hotbed for QBs. Carson Palmer 2002? Look at the mediocre QBs from that school.

Sure, you can make that argument, but you are forgetting that Matt Leinart was a first round pick, Matt Barkley would have been a first round pick had he come out early, Cody Kessler was a 3rd round pick, Sam Darnold taken #3 overall, and then some not so good QBs before Williams arrived. Not all QBs pan out at the next level, but to say USC isn't good at producing QBs isn't accurate. How have the QBs from Ohio State done (outside of Stroud)? Or Georgia (outside of Stafford)?
Those QBs you mentioned are mediocre and some are below mediocre. USC hasn't produced a decent QB since 2002. At least Stroud and Stafford are within the last two decades.

And yet Darnold is having a better season than Stroud....
 
I've heard people talk about it being a thing that high school QBs get more training and prep than in the past with all the camps and such. And they arrive to college more ready to play and then arrive to the NFL more ready. But wondered what you folks thought.
Two things. One being something that isn't helping rookie QBs and the other is. Teams have a lot invested in a top rookie QB and the fans want to see them play asap. I believe the more athletic the QB is, he can have more success right away because that athleticism masks their deficiencies, or appears to do so. But in general, both teams and fans are less patient now. Some rookie QBs are doomed to be failures no matter what, but some are ruined by this impatience.
 
It's Waddle and Silvy but they're reporting some vets wanted Williams benched.

Blasphemy ;)

Are you a packers fan or something? lol This is like the third snarky comment seeming to enjoy negativity around Williams. Seems really odd IMO.

Seems odd you'd find it odd. Waddle and Silvy reported some vets wanted Williams benched. I don't think there's any way that will happen as the narrative is this is mostly a coaching problem. Thus "blasphemy ;) "

I thought I'd been pretty reasonable in this thread. Last comment was, "A great deal of this is the easy one - the game is just really difficult at this level. It's a big jump, even from a program like USC."

:shrug:
I wouldn’t call USC a hotbed for QBs. Carson Palmer 2002? Look at the mediocre QBs from that school.

Sure, you can make that argument, but you are forgetting that Matt Leinart was a first round pick, Matt Barkley would have been a first round pick had he come out early, Cody Kessler was a 3rd round pick, Sam Darnold taken #3 overall, and then some not so good QBs before Williams arrived. Not all QBs pan out at the next level, but to say USC isn't good at producing QBs isn't accurate. How have the QBs from Ohio State done (outside of Stroud)? Or Georgia (outside of Stafford)?
Those QBs you mentioned are mediocre and some are below mediocre. USC hasn't produced a decent QB since 2002. At least Stroud and Stafford are within the last two decades.

And yet Darnold is having a better season than Stroud....
How has he looked the last few weeks? Yes, he's the same old Darnold and will hit the bench in 2025, or someone's bench.
 
And yes a better OL will help, no question. That ain't the full problem here.
I fully agree.

part of it is hes a kid who hasnt fully adapted to the NFL game.

All I am saying is that the weak line is not helping his development. and I'd say that is 100% true. the adaptation to the NFL game is far easier if you have a decent line to play behind. The learning curve is not as steep when you have more time to throw the ball.

in the end, he needs to adapt, but adapting is easier when you play behind a good line which I would argue is more important to a developing QB than it is to a veteran.

A lot of his sacks over the past couple of games have been after holding onto the ball for 4-5 seconds. That is not on the O-line. As they all like to say, "defenses get paid too."

Caleb is completely lost right now. The Bears should sit him ROS and start fresh 2025 w/ a whole new coaching staff.
LOL. You clearly haven't watched a game. Caleb is holding onto the ball too long, but the OL is absolute garbage. With injuries and cutting dead weight (looking at you Nate Davis), they were down to 6 OL on the team. On plays with a 5 man rush or more, the OL are playing like turnstiles and Caleb has to get out and make plays with his feet.
Wasn't one of the knocks on Fields that he held the ball too long too? Could it be possible that the coaching philosophy/plays/etc are leading to the QB's holding the ball too long? Maybe it's something in the way they have been coached that is leading to some of this?
 
It's Waddle and Silvy but they're reporting some vets wanted Williams benched.

Blasphemy ;)

Are you a packers fan or something? lol This is like the third snarky comment seeming to enjoy negativity around Williams. Seems really odd IMO.

Seems odd you'd find it odd. Waddle and Silvy reported some vets wanted Williams benched. I don't think there's any way that will happen as the narrative is this is mostly a coaching problem. Thus "blasphemy ;) "

I thought I'd been pretty reasonable in this thread. Last comment was, "A great deal of this is the easy one - the game is just really difficult at this level. It's a big jump, even from a program like USC."

:shrug:
I wouldn’t call USC a hotbed for QBs. Carson Palmer 2002? Look at the mediocre QBs from that school.

Sure, you can make that argument, but you are forgetting that Matt Leinart was a first round pick, Matt Barkley would have been a first round pick had he come out early, Cody Kessler was a 3rd round pick, Sam Darnold taken #3 overall, and then some not so good QBs before Williams arrived. Not all QBs pan out at the next level, but to say USC isn't good at producing QBs isn't accurate. How have the QBs from Ohio State done (outside of Stroud)? Or Georgia (outside of Stafford)?
Those QBs you mentioned are mediocre and some are below mediocre. USC hasn't produced a decent QB since 2002. At least Stroud and Stafford are within the last two decades.

And yet Darnold is having a better season than Stroud....
How has he looked the last few weeks? Yes, he's the same old Darnold and will hit the bench in 2025, or someone's bench.
Darnold is turning back into a pumpkin. He is Darnolding
 
I think it's regressive thinking to try and pigeon hole every QB into the same round hole when a lot are obviously square pegs. Some guys can start right away, others can't. Some will benefit from benching, other's will let it effect their mentals to the point it wrecks them. Branching down further paths, some coaches and staffs are more capable of making sure a QB doesn't fall to pieces mentally when going from a starter to riding the pine, others clearly are not. It's a whole lot of things impacting the outcome. But I think it's more than fair to put a greater onus on coaching staffs often with decades of experience, than the 21 year old kid who went from average high school student to millionaire celebrity in 4 years.

Also, we don't have a lot of historical data specific to these rookie QBs to look at. They don't make the jump from college to the pros multiple times. It happens once and it's a largely a crap shoot how it'll turn out. With coaching staffs and organizations, we often do have a lot of historical data to look at. So yeah, it's easy to look at a Bears organization that is set to repeat their same "hire coach, coach drafts a QB, fire coach, hire a new coach, new coach doesn't want this QB, draft a new QB" for the third time in what, 7 years? The coaches they've hired have horrid track records, sometimes even before the Bears have hired them. IMO they seem to hire timid, non-threatening, vanilla without the bean guys since Ditka. (Lovie should get some credit for doing what he did with what he had to work with)

While the McCaskeys aren't usually the first names that come to mind when people think of bad owners, I think they really should be at this point. They probably don't even get the heat they should in Chicago because of how terrible Reinsdorf is. Regardless, they are ultimately responsible for these poor hires. They are notoriously cheap and make poor decisions based on financials, but seem too dumb to even get that right. It wouldn't surprise me at all if they were to forgo their rookie QB and his development in favor of Tyson Bagent in hopes it wins them a couple more games in the short term because $$$. In reality, how many fans will even want to watch a team fielding the Shephard college star, insert eyeroll here.

In reality, no one really knows who is to blame and for what. It would seem obvious to say there's more than enough to go around. But it also feels very fair to put much more of that blame not only on the coaches/coordinators with years of ineptitude, but the owners who keep doing the same things over and over again but somehow expecting different results.

On Williams, I was never high on him to begin with. I didn't really like any of this incoming QB class and gun to head probably would have picked Nix as my favorite to succeed. But it doesn't change the fact he WAS successful in college, WAS highly touted by scouts and analysts, WAS producing on par if not over in NFL games this season as a rookie. You work with the information available to make educated guesses. I think smart money is on the Bears once again screwing the pooch here. Watching Fields go on to have the Steelers at 4-2 was nice. I look forward to a few years from now watching Williams do even better with a competent organization. And will continue to feel bad for Chicago fans. Hopefully they can jettison their ownership like the Commanders did and see some improvement sooner than later.
 
And yes a better OL will help, no question. That ain't the full problem here.
I fully agree.

part of it is hes a kid who hasnt fully adapted to the NFL game.

All I am saying is that the weak line is not helping his development. and I'd say that is 100% true. the adaptation to the NFL game is far easier if you have a decent line to play behind. The learning curve is not as steep when you have more time to throw the ball.

in the end, he needs to adapt, but adapting is easier when you play behind a good line which I would argue is more important to a developing QB than it is to a veteran.

A lot of his sacks over the past couple of games have been after holding onto the ball for 4-5 seconds. That is not on the O-line. As they all like to say, "defenses get paid too."

Caleb is completely lost right now. The Bears should sit him ROS and start fresh 2025 w/ a whole new coaching staff.
LOL. You clearly haven't watched a game. Caleb is holding onto the ball too long, but the OL is absolute garbage. With injuries and cutting dead weight (looking at you Nate Davis), they were down to 6 OL on the team. On plays with a 5 man rush or more, the OL are playing like turnstiles and Caleb has to get out and make plays with his feet.
Wasn't one of the knocks on Fields that he held the ball too long too? Could it be possible that the coaching philosophy/plays/etc are leading to the QB's holding the ball too long? Maybe it's something in the way they have been coached that is leading to some of this?
there is also adjusting to the pro game. and when you are not fully comfortable with the offense and the adjustments you need to make, you will likely hold the ball too long.

but if hes good, he will hit a point where the game starts to slow down for him. I do think he will be good eventually. its just gonna take some time. Thats all.
 
It's Waddle and Silvy but they're reporting some vets wanted Williams benched.

Blasphemy ;)

Are you a packers fan or something? lol This is like the third snarky comment seeming to enjoy negativity around Williams. Seems really odd IMO.

Seems odd you'd find it odd. Waddle and Silvy reported some vets wanted Williams benched. I don't think there's any way that will happen as the narrative is this is mostly a coaching problem. Thus "blasphemy ;) "

I thought I'd been pretty reasonable in this thread. Last comment was, "A great deal of this is the easy one - the game is just really difficult at this level. It's a big jump, even from a program like USC."

:shrug:
I wouldn’t call USC a hotbed for QBs. Carson Palmer 2002? Look at the mediocre QBs from that school.

Sure, you can make that argument, but you are forgetting that Matt Leinart was a first round pick, Matt Barkley would have been a first round pick had he come out early, Cody Kessler was a 3rd round pick, Sam Darnold taken #3 overall, and then some not so good QBs before Williams arrived. Not all QBs pan out at the next level, but to say USC isn't good at producing QBs isn't accurate. How have the QBs from Ohio State done (outside of Stroud)? Or Georgia (outside of Stafford)?
Those QBs you mentioned are mediocre and some are below mediocre. USC hasn't produced a decent QB since 2002. At least Stroud and Stafford are within the last two decades.

And yet Darnold is having a better season than Stroud....
How has he looked the last few weeks? Yes, he's the same old Darnold and will hit the bench in 2025, or someone's bench.
Darnold is turning back into a pumpkin. He is Darnolding
Is he? He probably is turning back into a pumpkin but, he's not nearly as bad as people want to believe. I'll use Stroud as a point of comparison.

Darnold last four games 74%, 1,030 yards, 6 TD, 6 INT, 8.3 y/a
Stroud last four games: 53%, 794 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT, 6.6 y/a

Stroud first four games (with Nico): 68%, 1,054 yards, 6 TD, 2 INT, 7.6 y/a
Darnold first four games: 69%, 932 yards, 11 TD, 3 INT, 7.6 y/a
 
It's Waddle and Silvy but they're reporting some vets wanted Williams benched.

Blasphemy ;)

Are you a packers fan or something? lol This is like the third snarky comment seeming to enjoy negativity around Williams. Seems really odd IMO.

Seems odd you'd find it odd. Waddle and Silvy reported some vets wanted Williams benched. I don't think there's any way that will happen as the narrative is this is mostly a coaching problem. Thus "blasphemy ;) "

I thought I'd been pretty reasonable in this thread. Last comment was, "A great deal of this is the easy one - the game is just really difficult at this level. It's a big jump, even from a program like USC."

:shrug:
I wouldn’t call USC a hotbed for QBs. Carson Palmer 2002? Look at the mediocre QBs from that school.

Sure, you can make that argument, but you are forgetting that Matt Leinart was a first round pick, Matt Barkley would have been a first round pick had he come out early, Cody Kessler was a 3rd round pick, Sam Darnold taken #3 overall, and then some not so good QBs before Williams arrived. Not all QBs pan out at the next level, but to say USC isn't good at producing QBs isn't accurate. How have the QBs from Ohio State done (outside of Stroud)? Or Georgia (outside of Stafford)?
Those QBs you mentioned are mediocre and some are below mediocre. USC hasn't produced a decent QB since 2002. At least Stroud and Stafford are within the last two decades.

And yet Darnold is having a better season than Stroud....
How has he looked the last few weeks? Yes, he's the same old Darnold and will hit the bench in 2025, or someone's bench.
Darnold is turning back into a pumpkin. He is Darnolding
Is he? He probably is turning back into a pumpkin but, he's not nearly as bad as people want to believe. I'll use Stroud as a point of comparison.

Darnold last four games 74%, 1,030 yards, 6 TD, 6 INT, 8.3 y/a
Stroud last four games: 53%, 794 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT, 6.6 y/a

Stroud first four games (with Nico): 68%, 1,054 yards, 6 TD, 2 INT, 7.6 y/a
Darnold first four games: 69%, 932 yards, 11 TD, 3 INT, 7.6 y/a
Something tells me you would start Stroud over Darnold .
 
It's Waddle and Silvy but they're reporting some vets wanted Williams benched.

Blasphemy ;)

Are you a packers fan or something? lol This is like the third snarky comment seeming to enjoy negativity around Williams. Seems really odd IMO.

Seems odd you'd find it odd. Waddle and Silvy reported some vets wanted Williams benched. I don't think there's any way that will happen as the narrative is this is mostly a coaching problem. Thus "blasphemy ;) "

I thought I'd been pretty reasonable in this thread. Last comment was, "A great deal of this is the easy one - the game is just really difficult at this level. It's a big jump, even from a program like USC."

:shrug:
I wouldn’t call USC a hotbed for QBs. Carson Palmer 2002? Look at the mediocre QBs from that school.

Sure, you can make that argument, but you are forgetting that Matt Leinart was a first round pick, Matt Barkley would have been a first round pick had he come out early, Cody Kessler was a 3rd round pick, Sam Darnold taken #3 overall, and then some not so good QBs before Williams arrived. Not all QBs pan out at the next level, but to say USC isn't good at producing QBs isn't accurate. How have the QBs from Ohio State done (outside of Stroud)? Or Georgia (outside of Stafford)?
Those QBs you mentioned are mediocre and some are below mediocre. USC hasn't produced a decent QB since 2002. At least Stroud and Stafford are within the last two decades.

And yet Darnold is having a better season than Stroud....
How has he looked the last few weeks? Yes, he's the same old Darnold and will hit the bench in 2025, or someone's bench.
Darnold is turning back into a pumpkin. He is Darnolding
Is he? He probably is turning back into a pumpkin but, he's not nearly as bad as people want to believe. I'll use Stroud as a point of comparison.

Darnold last four games 74%, 1,030 yards, 6 TD, 6 INT, 8.3 y/a
Stroud last four games: 53%, 794 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT, 6.6 y/a

Stroud first four games (with Nico): 68%, 1,054 yards, 6 TD, 2 INT, 7.6 y/a
Darnold first four games: 69%, 932 yards, 11 TD, 3 INT, 7.6 y/a
Something tells me you would start Stroud over Darnold .
This week? Maybe*

On the season picking Stroud over Darnold would have netted you a H2H record of 2-6-1. Over the last four weeks you would be 1-3. Over the first four weeks you be 0-3-1.

Again, I keep waiting for him to turn back into a pumpkin too but that fact is jading a lot of us, including me, into making bad magic football decisions.

*Having looked at the season long H2H numbers I changed my answer from Yes to Maybe. I'll probably give it to Stroud with Nico back and facing the #30 D at home. But...
 
A lot of his sacks over the past couple of games have been after holding onto the ball for 4-5 seconds. That is not on the O-line. As they all like to say, "defenses get paid too."
which is ironic considering that was the reason many expressed for why they should move off of Fields.

Leads the league in sacks taken with 38. 😬
 
Jay Glazer
Bears rookie QB Caleb Williams actually got up in a team meeting after OC Shane Waldron was fired and APOLOGIZED for his part in the offense stalling enough where Waldron was fired. Teammates were very impressed by the accountability and his decision to do that. @NFLonFOX
The team should have been thanking him for it. Waldron was a bum, and still is a bum. Horrid hire, basically a Getsy clone and you figured they already failed that experiment. It's extremely telling looking at how the very next game after his removal suddenly the Bears offense looked competent. One of the larger reasons was finally tailoring the offense to Calebs strengths and hiding his weaknesses rather than trying to force him into a system that isn't a good fit. It was obvious they took a page from the Commanders and JD where they were asking Williams to make 1 or 2 reads instead of 4-5, focused on shorter area of field, and prioritized getting the ball out of his hands fast. Unfortunately Eberflus still fumbled away a win with terrible decisions on the last two drives, despite Williams putting them in a spot to win. Wild that GB players themselves were shocked they wouldn't try to get closer for that FG with time on the clock and timeouts to burn when they said the first thing they saw in ST tape was how low Santos ball trajectory is on kicks. It's pathetic the opposing defense knows your kicker better than the HC.
 
Caleb Williams completed 23-of-31 passes for 231 yards and rushed nine times for 70 yards in Chicago’s 20-19, Week 11 loss to the Packers.

One thing that immediately changed under new OC Thomas Brown was that he looked to have the green light to scramble. Given the ball down 20-19, Williams was immediately sacked twice to the two-minute warning, but was able to convert a new set of downs from third-and-19 with a 16-yard scramble drill completion to Rome Odunze and a back shoulder ball for 21 more yards to Odunze on fourth down. The new horizontal focus of the Bears pass game will serve them well down the stretch, but only superflex players should consider starting Williams into Brian Flores’ defense next week.

- Rotoworld


Yahoo! Sports Matt Harmon: Week 11 Care/Don't Care: These aren't your same old Chargers
The Bears loss

No one in the building will agree with this but wins and losses no longer matter in the big picture for the Bears. Saving Matt Eberflus’ job isn’t the priority. The vast majority of the evidence points to the fact that this staff has run its course in Chicago and I don’t think much could take place from here on out that would change that fate.

What matters is redirecting the way Caleb Williams’ rookie season has been trending out of the bye. It’s about figuring out what he does well and ensuring he gets productive reps for the rest of the season. Despite the loss, Week 11 proved to be a good step in that direction.

In the first game without Shane Waldron, Chicago had its best total EPA performance on offense, and it looked like some minor adjustments were made in the passing game.

The Bears had Williams line up in the shotgun on 66% of his dropbacks and put an emphasis on the quick game. Williams got the ball out of his hands at the fastest pace of any game this season, per Next Gen Stats. He went 15 of 18 on quick passes and kept the ball moving down the field. It sure seemed like new play-caller Thomas Brown emphasized getting the ball out of Williams’ hands and making those layup throws more available to alleviate pressure on the rookie, both literally and figuratively. The Bears allowed just eight pressures on the day, the lowest of the season.

Williams feeling more confident in the offense was best expressed in a career-best rushing performance. When something wasn’t there for Williams in the passing game, he was quick to scramble and was incredibly effective when doing it. Williams scrambled five times for 49 yards, a career-high, and totaled 4.63 EPA on those runs. For the first time in months, it felt like Williams was playing loose and decisive.

I hate to minimize wins and losses because that is the whole point of the sport. And there’s no question that having what should have been the game-winning field goal less than a month after the Hail Mary loss to Washington is just another brutal chapter in a mentally draining season. However, Williams having a performance like this in a game that Chicago ultimately couldn’t win still goes down as a positive outing.
 
It's Waddle and Silvy but they're reporting some vets wanted Williams benched.

Blasphemy ;)

Are you a packers fan or something? lol This is like the third snarky comment seeming to enjoy negativity around Williams. Seems really odd IMO.

Seems odd you'd find it odd. Waddle and Silvy reported some vets wanted Williams benched. I don't think there's any way that will happen as the narrative is this is mostly a coaching problem. Thus "blasphemy ;) "

I thought I'd been pretty reasonable in this thread. Last comment was, "A great deal of this is the easy one - the game is just really difficult at this level. It's a big jump, even from a program like USC."

:shrug:
I wouldn’t call USC a hotbed for QBs. Carson Palmer 2002? Look at the mediocre QBs from that school.

Sure, you can make that argument, but you are forgetting that Matt Leinart was a first round pick, Matt Barkley would have been a first round pick had he come out early, Cody Kessler was a 3rd round pick, Sam Darnold taken #3 overall, and then some not so good QBs before Williams arrived. Not all QBs pan out at the next level, but to say USC isn't good at producing QBs isn't accurate. How have the QBs from Ohio State done (outside of Stroud)? Or Georgia (outside of Stafford)?
Those QBs you mentioned are mediocre and some are below mediocre. USC hasn't produced a decent QB since 2002. At least Stroud and Stafford are within the last two decades.

And yet Darnold is having a better season than Stroud....
How has he looked the last few weeks? Yes, he's the same old Darnold and will hit the bench in 2025, or someone's bench.
Darnold is turning back into a pumpkin. He is Darnolding
Is he? He probably is turning back into a pumpkin but, he's not nearly as bad as people want to believe. I'll use Stroud as a point of comparison.

Darnold last four games 74%, 1,030 yards, 6 TD, 6 INT, 8.3 y/a
Stroud last four games: 53%, 794 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT, 6.6 y/a

Stroud first four games (with Nico): 68%, 1,054 yards, 6 TD, 2 INT, 7.6 y/a
Darnold first four games: 69%, 932 yards, 11 TD, 3 INT, 7.6 y/a
Something tells me you would start Stroud over Darnold .
This week? Maybe*

On the season picking Stroud over Darnold would have netted you a H2H record of 2-6-1. Over the last four weeks you would be 1-3. Over the first four weeks you be 0-3-1.

Again, I keep waiting for him to turn back into a pumpkin too but that fact is jading a lot of us, including me, into making bad magic football decisions.

*Having looked at the season long H2H numbers I changed my answer from Yes to Maybe. I'll probably give it to Stroud with Nico back and facing the #30 D at home. But...
Stroud is now 2-7-1 on the season against Darnold. 0-4-1 in games where Nico played.
 
Last edited:
Brendan Sugrue
Did you know Caleb Williams made Bears history this past Sunday?

Williams became the first Bears starting quarterback since the merger to have 4 straight games in a season without a touchdown or interception.

Jim Harbaugh & Kyle Orton each had 3 such games.

Data via @Stathead

Williams is closing in on another record, too.

If he fails to throw a touchdown this Sunday, he will be tied with Bobby Douglass & Gary Huff as the only Bears QBs since the merger to go 5 straight games without a touchdown.

For a team with a bad history at QB, that's something.
 

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