LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Quarterback Caleb Williams identified the blitz when he got to the line Monday inside the Walter Payton Center. He immediately checked to the quick game. Williams snapped the ball and looked to the right to start his progression. He felt the pocket start to collapse and escaped before floating a perfect pass over linebacker T.J. Edwards' head and into the hands of Keenan Allen for a touchdown.
"I felt the pocket collapsing, and I felt a big gap open up. I know Keenan is coming on the back line, and I felt the defense push over, the backer attach," Williams said after Monday's practice. The backer was too low, and I threw it over his head.”
Williams' dime to Allen was the highlight of a practice that showed head coach Matt Eberflus what he hoped he'd see after Saturday's sloppy padded affair.
After the Bears committed five false starts and two delay-of-game penalties on Saturday, Eberflus asked his team to hone their focus and finish.
That message resonated after the Bears' offense had a nearly clean operational day on Monday, save for one delay-of-game penalty.
"I think that’s one thing we just mentioned to those guys coming off the practice before the players’ day off," offensive coordinator Shane Waldron said after practice. "We had some struggles operationally and then being able to bounce back today and have a clean practice right there and be able to operate at a high level. When we are operating at a high level from an operation standpoint, it’s giving all 11 players the best chance to play fast and play within every concept."
Williams and the offense also showed their ability to bounce back mid-practice Monday.
After their lone operational issue moved them from the 6-yard line to the 11, Williams dropped back and threaded a perfectly thrown ball to Rome Odunze in the back left corner for a touchdown. Williams fit the ball into a small window between two defenders for six.
It was the latest example of Williams' ability to flush a bad moment (throw, operation error, etc.) and respond.
"He’s got a great sense of urgency with that," Waldron said. "I think his ability to play with energy and emotion, but also if something goes wrong or if something’s off a little bit right there, he’s looking you right in the eye. He wants to know, ‘What’s the why behind why that went the wrong way right there? How can I fix it? How can I make it better the next play?’ And he does have that ability to move on and play the next play."
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CHICAGO BEARS
Here are more notes from Monday's short practice:
-- The Bears' defense won the lone situational drill of the day.
The offense faced a third-and-5 from midfield with 50 seconds remaining but could not get into field goal range after Montez Sweat quickly beat right tackle Darnell Wright to "sack" Williams.
Sweat, who was removed from a drill Saturday for making contact with Williams, kept his hands up and peeled off early after notching the sack.
Punter Tory Taylor came on and hit a brilliant end-of-end punt that cornerback Josh Blackwell downed at the 2.
-- Cornerback Jaylon Jones picked off backup quarterback Tyson Bagent during red zone drills. Bagent had Velus Jones Jr. open and put the ball on the money, but the pass hit off the receiver's hands and bounced right to Jones for the interception.
-- Cornerback Kyler Gordon, guard Nate Davis, edge rusher Jacob Martin, running back Travis Homer, running back Ian Wheeler, and wide receiver Nsimba Webster did not participate Monday.
With Davis out, the Bears had Ryan Bates at right guard while Coleman Shelton manned center.
-- The Bears will announce whether or not their starters will play in Thursday's Hall of Fame on Tuesday. Williams knows the decision is above his pay grade, but the rookie quarterback sees value in taking the field in Canton, Ohio.
I "always think there’s more pros than cons in anything, especially for a young guy like myself," Williams said. The reps are always paramount for anybody like myself—a young rookie, second-year guy, third-year guy—it’s paramount. It’s really important, and we’ll see how these preseason games coming up play out."
"I would love to get out there and play," Williams said later. "It’s pretty awesome to be at Canton, but it’s coach’s decision."
