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Courtney Cronin, ESPN Workers Author
LAKE FOREST, Unwell. — Talking for the primary time because the Chicago Bears fired Matt Eberflus amid a six-game shedding streak, quarterback Caleb Williams portrayed a optimistic outlook on the impact that the adjustments he has skilled as a rookie may have on his profession.
Eberflus was fired after a disastrous fourth-quarter sequence that noticed the play clock run out on the Bears’ try at a comeback in a 23-20 loss to the Lions on Thanksgiving. It was the Bears’ fourth one-score loss since Week 8, which magnified teaching and game-management choices.
Eberflus turned the primary coach fired by the Bears in the course of the season within the franchise’s 105-year historical past.
Thomas Brown was promoted to interim head coach for the ultimate 5 video games simply three weeks after he took over offensive coordinator duties upon Shane Waldron’s firing.
“It is attention-grabbing,” Williams stated of Eberflus’ firing after 12 video games. “I do not get any say or selection over that. I’ve to roll with the punches. Like I stated, it is attention-grabbing. It is robust.
“He is a motive of why I am right here. He drafted me. And so going by way of that and that course of is attention-grabbing for me.”
Williams, nonetheless, is not involved that the quantity of turnover he has skilled all through Chicago’s turbulent 4-8 begin will hinder his long-term improvement.
“I feel it is a stepping-stone of improvement, to have the ability to have all of this in my first yr,” Williams stated. “I would not say that I am comfortable for it. Having these moments is certainly one thing that may assist me sooner or later. Having these situational moments that it is laborious to rep in follow, having a few of these moments, having your coach fired or coaches fired, and other people being promoted. You realize, issues like that every one taking place inside a pair weeks of one another, you already know I feel it could assist me in the long term with the ability to deal with all of this, deal with this primary yr and with the ability to develop from it.”
Brown, 28, will transfer from the coaches’ sales space to the sideline Sunday when Chicago performs on the San Francisco 49ers. Since Brown took over playcalling duties towards the Green Bay Packers in Week 11, Williams’ Complete QBR has gone from 39 to 77, his completion share has elevated by 3% and his yards per dropback have jumped from 4.9 to six.2. The rookie hasn’t turned the ball over whereas throwing 5 touchdowns since Brown’s first sport calling performs in Week 11.
The interim head coach will now must strike a stability between prioritizing Williams’ continued improvement and his obligations over the remainder of the workforce.
“I’d say first off, I’m not the only particular person liable for Caleb’s improvement,” Brown stated. “He has an enormous half in that. Clearly, I’ve been charged with type of main the best way with him and the workforce now as effectively. However I feel his response has been superior. My job is to be an efficient communicator, be sincere and be direct about what he is doing effectively and what he is not doing effectively, and I’ve the identical actual message for the workforce.”
Williams referenced “rolling with the punches” six occasions throughout his Wednesday information convention at Halas Corridor. That mindset is what the quarterback has leaned on whereas weathering change sparked by choices which can be out of his management.
How he has channeled that mentality within the first 12 video games of his NFL profession is what he plans to make use of for the subsequent 12 and past.
“I feel it’s a stepping-stone really with my improvement as a result of I feel down the road, I will have completely different OCs or completely different head coaches or regardless of the case could also be,” Williams stated. “And so with the ability to deal with it my first yr, deal with a brand new playbook, deal with all these completely different adjustments, deal with all of this I feel it positively will assist the event as an alternative of wounding it or something like that.”
