Through all of the noise, one of the most noteworthy voices that has come out in defense of Caleb Williams in the wake of the Chicago Bears’ loss to the Minnesota Vikings on “Monday Night Football” belongs to Kurt Warner.
A Hall of Famer and the former conductor of “The Greatest Show on Turf,” few are as qualified as Warner when it comes to the subject of quarterbacks and quarterback play.
The would-be ex-Bears quarterback’s take holds significant weight outside of Halas Hall.
Kurt Warner Doubles Down on Caleb Williams in 2-Part Breakdown
Bears QB Caleb Williams Gets Hall of Fame Defense
Warner shared a two-part breakdown of Williams’ game, one for the first and second halves, from the second-year QB’s first performance of the season. Williams initially guided the Bears to an 11-point lead by halftime.
However, they failed to add to it and, in the fourth, disaster struck as the Vikings rattled off 21 unanswered points.
By the time Williams and Co. scored again, they still trailed by a field goal.
Warner initially posted on X that, upon re-watching Williams’ performance in the Bears’ 27-24 come-from-ahead loss, he “thought it was pretty darn good!”
The St. Louis Rams legend and 1999 Super Bowl champion credited Williams with four “++” plays, 25 “+” plays, 1 “+-” – meaning the QB “missed something but made up for it with positive” – six plays beyond his control, and 10 “bad” plays.
Warner called it a “really solid game, with the “caveat” that some misses had “big play” potential.
Williams completed 60% of his passes for 210 yards and 1 touchdown, adding 58 yards and another TD on six rushing attempts.
Notably, though, Williams was 13-for-16 for 112 yards in the first half, showing just how much fell off after the break. Among the criticisms Warner had of Williams were inconsistent footwork, being hesitant on some throws, and “trying to do too much.”
Those are things Williams and Bears head coach Ben Johnson have lamented.
Warner said not knowing what Williams is asked to do on any given play makes it more difficult to grade, but that nuance worked both ways.
Caleb Williams Navigated ‘Mess’ With Playmakers, Poor Protection
Warner defended his assessment against fans and other former NFL QBs throughout the day before finally releasing the two-part evaluation. He also noted that Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy had a cleaner game, but that the “degree of difficulty was WAY higher for Caleb than for JJ!!”
To that end, Warner said he would “hate” to have been Williams in this particular game.
He frequently cited Williams dealing with a “mess” as his playmakers were frequently covered down the field (“90%” of his misses, in Warner’s estimation), miscommunications, and commended him often for making something out of nothing.
Warner also questioned where Williams’ eyes were on numerous plays. Is this on the QB or HC?
Warner said he was not a big fan of “pure progression” offenses, in which fixed reads can lead to missed opportunities on the backside, noting that the Bears run them often.
Johnson took responsibility for not calling his best game, which could clean up a host of issues for the Bears next week. But Warner’s assessment also highlighted the frequent breakdowns in Williams’ protection.
That is ominous, given how much the Bears invested in the interior offensive line this offseason.
The Bears will face a less formidable group on paper in the Detroit Lions in Week 2, but Johnson’s history as their offensive coordinator for the past three seasons looms large.