Caleb Williams says Bears putting emphasis on finishing games | Chicago Bears

Caleb Williams says Bears putting emphasis on finishing games | Chicago Bears

So, I was scrolling through Instagram yesterday and noticed you made a reference to uh maybe broadcaster calling play. What do you make of kind of a TV copy or whatever you saw? Yeah, it’s it’s fun. Um fun trolls. Um I was I was messing around. Uh yeah, DeAndre made a great play. Um and you know, obviously he had some some stuff to say about us or or or or me. Um and uh I mean we came out victorious in the end. So um you know made a made a made a little fun moment of it and uh that was about it. How do you draw or how do you differentiate between kind of fair criticism and something that maybe you don’t think? Yeah, I could care less. Uh it’s kind of how I’ve I think I’ve said multiple times um over my time being here. Fair, not life isn’t fair. People are going to say what they have to say. Uh we win, we lose. Uh people have stuff to say. Um it was lucky. It was not lucky. Uh people have stuff to say. Um you know um you know have a bad game, have a good game. You know, people have stuff to say. So it’s it’s it it doesn’t matter. Uh we’re only worried about what’s going on here uh within this building um and with these guys. So um that’s all all I can say about that. Is Ben using it as motivation or is it anything that Yeah, I think I think you always kind of use those those I mean when you’re in a in a in a in a competitive situation um like like like coach coaches or you know myself or other teammates that you know when people have stuff to say about you um and and whether it’s uh that week or you know a whole year or you know whatever the case may be I think you you do use it as a little bit of fuel as a little bit of motivation. I think that’s that’s always a part of it as a competitor. Um that that goes along. Um but you don’t put too much into it to where um it affects you negatively. Not to keep harping on it, but I guess I am. Um Aman did say one of the things that he said a couple times during the broadcast was that needing to put the the receiver in a better position to have yards after the catch, not just completing it. Fair criticism or not? Yeah, I think that’s always a I think that’s always something uh every game you play. Um, you know, you always want to be able to put your receiver in the best position. Uh, that doesn’t always happen. Um, and so, uh, you know, uh, you try and give him at least a catchable ball, um, at the at the, um, you know, at the at the least. You try and give him a catchable ball at the maximum. You want to give him the best ball, um, so he can go run. I think there was opportunities for that. Um, I think there was opportunities that we missed. I think there was opportunities that, um, you know, we’ll we’ll hit. Um, and, you know, it’s it’s still, um, you know, our fifth game that we just played. Um, and so, uh, it’s early. Um, and obviously, you know, getting in rhythm with everybody. Um, it’s it’s a long season. Um, and you don’t necessarily, um, you know, you don’t want to you want you want to catch fire a little bit later in the season. Obviously, you work and, you know, you want to catch fire as soon as possible. Um, but you want to make sure you’re hitting strides at the right time in the right, you know, right peak of the season, uh, to get rolling towards the end of the year. Um and so um you know uh we’re we’re we’re three and two um versus a very very good team um as as all of us know and you know like I said everybody has uh things to say and that’s great um and like I said I could care less and we’re three and two to continue harping on this. Did you meet with Troy last week leading up to the game as part of stuff or I did not I didn’t get to meet with him um tried to meet with him uh and then you know you know uh reached out and tried to meet and you know that didn’t that didn’t uh that didn’t happen and so um you know uh moved on from it went played the game and came out three and two. Why did he not meet? Uh I was here late and timings didn’t meet up lifting or whatever the case may have been and then uh tried to call him um after the game and or not after the game after after the day um that day that you know I was supposed to meet with him and uh it didn’t didn’t uh didn’t get through. When you watch your film, are you seeing improvement obviously, but also are you seeing a lot of kind of untapped areas for growth and that could still get a lot better for you? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I think I think uh that that’s always something. uh being able to to have growth and understand uh where I’m at, but also understand uh you know where I can be and where I will be. Um I’ve been been saying that since I’ve been here that um you know I got I got a lot lot in the tank um you know for this team and I’ll do whatever uh I have to do to be able to help this team win. You’re seeing that on film where you’re like I I can I can get so much better. Yeah. And it’s it’s weird. Uh I was sitting sitting upstairs with with uh coach the other day and uh we were just talking about it’s just like it’s like uh my steps are off and my on the movement like when I’m moving uh you know I’ve been I’ve been missing uh on the run a little bit more than I usually do. So it’s been a little weird dealing with that. So, it’s uh just just finding that that’s that’s probably the biggest thing because you know there’s big plays that it turns into a second play um you know something happens play breaks down or anything like that and and it turns to a second play like the the hit I took on the sideline that I shouldn’t have taken um uh right before half um you know uh just not really on the same page. I didn’t feel in the right position to be able to deliver Lou the ball. Um and so, um I took a hit and I should have just gave him a shot. Um especially, you know, in that situation, there was a guy about 20 30 yards, you know, deep and um you know, I I didn’t I didn’t give him a shot right there. But those those type of moments just feeling comfortable and um on the run right now has been, you know, one of my things that I’ve been working on in practice and you know, kind of looking over on on on the film and things like that. to be. So, I mean, we can have these big explosive plays um that happen within, you know, every game that we’ve had so far. On the fourth and one you had late in the first half. What was your vantage point on that sequence? And yeah, I um so I got off of I got off of DJ too fast. I saw the safety roll down. Uh but I got off of DJ uh too fast. I thought the safety was a little deeper than he was. And then uh he ended up covering um the the the uh uh uh over that we had. And um I didn’t actually see four backside. Um so it’s a it’s a good rep to bank for me. Um just just understanding that situation um and not allowing that to happen again for you know a safety you know to come down. We have a a one-on-one with uh our one of our top guys um you know give him a shot and put the ball up in the air and uh go score in that moment. What’s the mindset like? Because if you think about it, two end of game kicks are the difference between one and four and three and two. Uh that’s football. Um a lot of times and especially in National Football League um many times games come down to uh one score games. Um and so uh you know kudos to our special teams, kudos to our defense and you know the other guys on the on the on the ball offensive ball offensive side of the ball. Uh I think uh I think it’s something that we’ve been practicing, something that we harp on. um has been able to finish um and and and I think we’ve just done a good job with that recently. When you have a game or when you have a situation like you had Monday night where we’ll call them interesting calls took away a big play. Um how have you kind of learned and maybe in the moment to manage those and what what can you do for your team in those situations? Yeah, those situations it’s a it’s a head-up moment. It’s a um you know, let’s keep let’s keep rolling. Let’s not shoot ourselves in the foot. let’s not give them any shot to be able to take away from whatever we’re doing. Um, so I think that’s that’s where my mindset goes. It’s frustrating. Obviously, you go back and watch it and some of them are like, you know, you feel a certain way about it or whatever the case may be in the moment. The call is the call. Um, and so you have to move on from it. You got to uh find ways to move on and, you know, find ways to go win games, which we which is what we did. I think there are five quarterbacks starting in the something like that. Pretty cool, right? Yeah. What’s your relationship with Rattler like? realizing that that may have been, you know, some reason for drama, I guess, way back when in college and and have you kept up with him? Uh, no. We don’t we we we haven’t really spoke much. It’s not I mean, I don’t really speak to Baker and all those other guys that much anyways. Um, I know uh Spence was with me, so um yeah, we don’t we don’t really keep up that much, but excited for the matchup. Um I know he’s excited. Um and we’re going to go out there and, you know, have a have a blast. Do you think of yourself more as an Oklahoma guy or an SC guy or Um, I probably would say I think I I think I claim USC. Um, but when when Oklahoma plays Texas, um, it’s always horns down. Sorry. Go ahead. The left tackle position can be pretty important for a quarterback. What have you come to appreciate about Theo Benedict? Yeah, he goes out there and gives his best. Um, that’s all you can ask for. Uh, he’s trying to grow in every single way possible. Um and and and in many times the came up to me and said, “I got your back.” Um and you know those small nuggets, those small small notes that um that that you know he may say or or or one of the other offensive linemen may say goes a long way. How difficult is it to move on after such an emotional dramatic win, especially in a short week? And is it the same as like when you suffer a really crushing loss and how how tough is it to move on and turn the page to the next game? Yeah, I think I think um I think losing is a little it’s it’s it hurts a little bit more than um obviously the winning. Um so I would say that side of it, the losing bothers me more than you know um the winning feels good. Um but um you know I think I think uh I think we got great leaders on this team um that understand that this is a long season. Uh we were four and two last year at a certain point. Um, and obviously the season turned around. So, uh, being able to understand that, uh, now that I’ve, um, been through a full season, um, been in those moments, um, you know, I think I think being able to move on, you know, past wins and losses and understand that it’s a long season, being able to, uh, move on from, uh, emotional game, uh, being able to move on from, you know, myself playing in my hometown and, uh, game going down to the wire. All of that, um, is important. Um it’s important for me, it’s important for us as a team to be able to uh focus on the next one. Uh you only have well this week it’s a little shorter time, but you got about 24 hours to enjoy um or or uh enjoy a win or feel, you know, however you feel about a loss or anything like that. And um that’s our mindset and then you move on from it and you you focus on the next opponent. Caleb, I was asking Ben, what’s the value of you leading you back to back couple game-winning drives in the fourth quarter? He said he feels like you come to life those moments and it’s almost like you crave them. What do you feel? Yeah, I’d rather I’d rather not be in those moments. Put it that way. I’d rather not. Um just because it’s it’s you know it’s most important situation in that moment obviously. Uh but I’d rather go win a game by 30. I think all of us will here. Uh but in those moments um I do feel calm. Um I feel um right where I’m supposed to be. Um, and so I try and I think I said this last week or whatever the case may have been or two weeks ago is I try and portray that to my teammates. Uh, that I’m calm, that this moment right here is our moment. Um, it’s our show. Um, and in those moments it’s it’s time to go win the game. Uh, that’s that’s all it comes down to. All that’s all it comes down to. And, uh, there’s nothing more important than that moment. Um, and so, uh, being able to understand that, being able to, uh, be calm in those moments, whether, you know, something good happens, a penalty, uh, we have a a negative play or a play that only gets one yard, now we’re, you know, second and long like we did. We go, uh, you know, third and long, um, or or or third and, you know, kind of, you know, medium plus and, um, and we go get the first down after that. So, it’s it’s it’s the the patience, the calmness, the belief in each other. Um, and then from there, um, you just go out there and execute the plays the coach calls. In a game like you guys had Monday night, what does that do for your overall confidence as an offense? The rush. The run game. Yeah. Um, the rush attack is I mean it’s extremely important to winning games. Um, obviously, you know, there’s there’s certain games that, you know, that’s statistic is a little off and, you know, you win games by passing, but, uh, being able to have a balanced attack, uh, keeps defense on their toes. Uh, being able to have a balanced attack helps you, uh, march the b march the ball down the field. Um, getting open looks, play actions, keeper, screens, uh, drawback, all of that starts to open up when you can have a, you know, a positive and effective run game. Um, and I think, uh, I think the guys did a good job of that. Uh because that defense over there is a is is a hell of a defense coached by a hell of a coach and um you know you you um I mean their statistics on the run so far this season has been you know pretty solid this year. Um and so being able to uh get that going versus that defense I know it builds confidence in uh you know Swift and you know the offensive line and everybody else. Um, and then, you know, we put all these together. We we we we we take away, you know, these penalties and, you know, these negative plays that we have and things like that. And, uh, you know, now we’re putting up points, um, and a lot of points cuz, um, you know, I think we have that capability. Um, and I think everybody knows that and we just got to go and do our part. Real quick, when you watch the Saints on defense, what Sorry. What do you see when you watch the Saints defense? Yeah. Um, they’re they’re record does not show uh what type of team they are. Um, and so that’s not something that we’re gonna, you know, underestimate. We’re not going to, you know, try and take advantage of all of that. Like they’re they’re a good team. Um, this is also the National Football League. So, um, you know, I think I think going into this with the right mindset is is what, you know, we will have and what we will do. Um, and and understanding, uh, the opportunity we have, uh, to be able to go out here, execute, uh, the way we need to be able to, you know, turn out four and two. Awesome. Thank you, the Bears.

Quarterback Caleb Williams addresses the media Wednesday at Halas Hall.

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