Bears quarterback Caleb Williams hadn’t played since USC’s final regular-season game on November 18, the last appearance of his collegiate career as the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner.
So when Williams stepped onto the field in Buffalo on Saturday afternoon for his NFL preseason debut—following the Bears’ decision to receive after winning the toss—he felt a sense of control and comfort he’d been craving.
“It felt good,” Williams shared during his postgame press conference. “There’s always a heightened focus going into games for whatever reason, even if you try to maintain that mindset during the week. There’s a sense of control, progress, and a combination of things that, when you’re actually in the game, your comfort level just skyrockets.”
Throughout the 18 snaps Caleb Williams played, his comfort and confidence were evident. He demonstrated the qualities that made him this year’s top draft pick, including patience in the pocket, improvisation, accuracy on the move, and scrambling ability.
While Caleb Williams led the first-team offense into the red zone on both of their drives, they were unable to find the end zone. Despite this, his teammates, including DJ Moore, were pleased with Williams’ debut performance.
“He did good,” Moore said. “First two drives, it was amazing. He went out there with a bunch of confidence and he did good. … He was loud and precise with the calls, and everything was great.”
Williams recognizes that preseason games don’t showcase the full strength of opposing defenses or include all their star players. However, he still felt positive about being back on the field in a game environment. While he is eager to savor the exciting moments as they come, Williams remains focused on the broader goals leading into the regular season.
“You have to understand where we are and understand what we have and where we’re headed — that’s the most important thing,” Williams said. “But you also have to be where your feet are. So when you’re out there on the field preparing for this game, you’re enjoying it, you’re having fun, you’re having a blast on the field.
“When we get in early tomorrow, we take a step back, we go through the tape, and then it’s on to the next preseason [game]. You take it from there and you keep growing, you keep growing, you keep growing, and then we just keep counting those days, counting those hours, and getting after it.”
After the Bears’ opening drive began with a couple of runs and a holding penalty, Williams faced a third-and-12 situation. Displaying his poise, he stayed in the pocket for over three seconds as the offensive line held firm, waiting for receiver DJ Moore to find an opening at the first-down marker. Williams delivered a precise 12-yard pass, hitting Moore perfectly despite tight coverage from a Bills defender.
“It was zone,” Moore explained after the game, “so [I] just sat in the hole and he put it on me, and we got the first down.”
On the next play, Williams showcased his ability to create explosive plays under pressure. With the Bills collapsing the pocket, Williams managed to spot D’Andre Swift and delivered a quick shovel pass, even with a defender in his face. Swift took advantage of the opportunity, racing 42 yards downfield for the Bears’ longest play of the game. From a distance, it appeared as though Williams had completed a no-look pass to Swift, but he clarified that he had spotted Swift’s bright orange gloves before releasing the ball.
“I did see [Swift],” Williams admitted. “It wasn’t a no-look. I wish I could claim it was, but it wasn’t. … The offensive line did a great job making it seem like they were going to allow a sack. I just tossed it over the defender’s head, and we got around 40 yards or so, which was great.”
Although the drive ended with a field goal, Williams and the first-team offense returned for another series. Midway through the 12-play drive, Williams displayed his pinpoint accuracy on the run. On a first-and-10 from the Chicago 41, he executed a play-action fake, rolled to his right, and pump-faked to buy time as Bills defensive end Dawuane Smoot closed in. While running toward the Bears’ sideline, Williams found a narrow window to connect with tight end Cole Kmet for a 26-yard gain.
“We’ve been repping this play for a while now,” Williams said. “On gameday, the seas parted, and Cole was running down the sideline. My job is just to get him the ball in space and let our players do their magic. … Cole did a great job selling it and breaking it to the corner.”
After demonstrating his passing skills, Williams showcased his rushing ability. On a third-and-9 at the Buffalo 32, he anticipated what the defense might give him. When the Bills dropped back after initially showing pressure, Williams relied on his instincts, scrambling 13 yards and sliding to secure the first down.
“At first I thought — I think Damar [Hamlin] was on the left side — I thought he was going to rotate, and the right safety was going to drop down,” Williams recalled. “He bluffed it and got over top of the vertical to Rome [Odunze]. After that, I got down to my back, saw it was covered, noticed the seas part, realized it was two-man, and took off.”
While Caleb Williams led the first-team offense into the red zone on both of their drives, they were unable to find the end zone. Despite this, his teammates, including DJ Moore, were pleased with Williams’ debut performance.
“He did good,” Moore said. “First two drives, it was amazing. He went out there with a bunch of confidence and he did good. … He was loud and precise with the calls, and everything was great.”
Williams recognizes that preseason games don’t showcase the full strength of opposing defenses or include all their star players. However, he still felt positive about being back on the field in a game environment. While he is eager to savor the exciting moments as they come, Williams remains focused on the broader goals leading into the regular season.
“You have to understand where we are and understand what we have and where we’re headed — that’s the most important thing,” Williams said. “But you also have to be where your feet are. So when you’re out there on the field preparing for this game, you’re enjoying it, you’re having fun, you’re having a blast on the field.
“When we get in early tomorrow, we take a step back, we go through the tape, and then it’s on to the next preseason [game]. You take it from there and you keep growing, you keep growing, you keep growing, and then we just keep counting those days, counting those hours, and getting after it.”
