Legendary NFL head coach Bill Belichick criticized the Chicago Bears on Monday for assembling an unusual roster that centers on rookie quarterback Caleb Williams. You can tell how much Belichick is criticizing the Bears in this clip, even though he was clearly being a little more poised and TV-like in this bit:
Bill Belichick criticizing Ryan Poles roster construction. 👀 #DaBears #Bears pic.twitter.com/6wSmABGS5f
— Clay Harbor (@clayharbs82) September 17, 2024
Belichick criticized the Bears’ roster construction on The Pat McAfee Show and discussed how the Detroit Lions, a team in their division, are constructed well and have a strong offensive line. He mentioned the ease with which the Houston Texans applied pressure during the Bears’ Week 2 loss in Houston.
The general manager has the final say when it comes to building the squad, thus while Ryan Poles has generally done a decent job, he has had several misses. His misses are somewhat more highlighted for two reasons:
-Caleb Williams is among the most well-known rookie quarterbacks in history.
The most of the misses appear to be in the offensive line.
In the NFL, the offensive line is virtually always where games are won or lost. In just two games this season, Williams has already taken nine sacks due to intense pressure. If this average continues, he would be on track to take 77 sacks this season. The Bears’ offensive experience has just not been enjoyable. With only 18.5 points per game, the team is ranked 18th in terms of scoring.
The team’s offensive touchdown total is just one, and it comes from running back Khalil Herbert. Yes, it will take some time for this offense to gain traction and start producing consistently, but in our fast-paced environment, people are used to expecting results practically instantly. It was probably never going to happen with the Bears and Caleb Williams.
Not only is the offensive line failing Williams, but the coaching is also questionable at times. In an attempt to maximize Williams’ potential, the Bears may eventually bring in a coaching staff that is more offensively oriented.
This might be a member of the Detroit Lions or Houston Texans, such as Bobby Slowik or Ben Johnson. If Ryan Poles is still the Bears general manager, I would also anticipate that he would try to add some offensive line support via the free agency market.
But the 2024 NFL Season is exposing his flaws as a squad architect, particularly with regard to offense.
Analyst Asks Bears To Put Caleb Williams on the Bench. Await the explanation.
After being chosen first overall in the 2024 NFL Draft, Caleb Williams was hailed as the Chicago Bears’ future.
However, following two tumultuous games, some NFL pundits are advocating for the rookie quarterback to sit down, expressing worries that his present setbacks may be detrimental to his long-term growth.
Mike Renner, an analyst for CBS Sports, is one of the people raising concerns.
After his own difficult start to the season, he thinks Chicago should think about benching Williams, much like the Carolina Panthers did with Bryce Young.
Renner brought out the psychological toll that a young quarterback may experience from continual pressure.
Renner explained that if you’re taking 15 hits per game over the course of 17 games, you may end up in a mental state similar to Bryce Young’s. Without realizing it, you could start subconsciously playing in a way that tries to avoid hits, but not necessarily taking the right actions to prevent them.
Williams has undoubtedly had his share of difficulties.
The rookie was constantly under pressure in the Week 2 loss to the Houston Texans, getting blitzed on almost 42 percent of his dropbacks.
While there were some encouraging aspects of the game, such as Williams’s enhanced passing game rhythm, his two interceptions stood out as costly errors.
Renner, though, expressed worry that Williams is not making progress in a few areas that were noted as shortcomings upon leaving USC.
It is not an easy pill to swallow to bench him. However, I don’t believe he’s picking up positive habits,” Renner said.
“It seems like he’s not improving on the areas we stated he needed to improve upon in order to go from USC to the NFL. It’s likely that he’s growing worse at it.”
Williams promises not to make the same errors.
After admitting his shortcomings, the youngster said, “Obviously, I had the two stupid mistakes that won’t happen again.”
Williams also talked about how the team’s intergame communication has improved, but it wasn’t enough to withstand the Texans’ aggressive defensive strategy.
“It starts with communication,” Williams stated, emphasizing that making adjustments mid-game will be crucial to getting ready for opponents who might employ similar strategies in the future.
Williams is determined to adapt to the speed and complexity of NFL defenses despite the growing pressure, both physically and mentally.
While he admits that his playmaking ability from USC hasn’t fully translated to the NFL yet, he remains confident that he can overcome the early challenges.
“Just play your game and execute efficiently within the offense,” Williams encouraged. “Make fewer mistakes, and don’t repeat them.”
To change his fortune, Williams will need to apply the lessons learned from Week 2 as the Bears prepare for their game against the Indianapolis Colts.
Both the team and fans hope for a smoother path ahead, but the Bears’ coaching staff may soon face a difficult decision regarding how to best support the rookie quarterback’s development.
