The situation was as clear as day. Las Vegas held a 24-19 lead with five minutes to play in the 4th quarter. The upcoming drive for the Chicago Bears might be their last realistic chance to pull out a victory. They were tired defensively and had struggled to stop the run all day. Giving the ball back to the Raiders with no points would spell doom. Caleb Williams spoke with head coach Ben Johnson before the drive, who told him that these situations were what he’s built for. Go win the game. Williams calmly stepped into the huddle, gave his guys some encouragement, and started the drive.
Eleven plays later, D’Andre Swift sliced into the end zone for a go-ahead touchdown. Josh Blackwell blocked Las Vegas’ ensuing game-winning field goal attempt to preserve the 25-24 victory. It wasn’t pretty, but the Bears had found a way. Williams was asked after the game how he was able to pull off such a difficult drive, given how the offense had played most of the afternoon. The quarterback admitted that it went back to something Johnson had taught him months ago, which probably felt somewhat irrelevant at the time.
“I think the biggest growth is being able to keep my composure for the guys most importantly,” Williams said. “It’s not just the other 10 guys on the field, it’s the whole team. I think there were moments in the [Raiders] game where I got frustrated, and the growth in that standpoint of not having — whether bad body language or not saying anything or raising my temper maybe too much … those are moments that can change momentum. The guys look at me and they’re like, ‘Okay, he’s composed.'”
This was something Johnson addressed when the two first got together.
He went through game film from last year and highlighted several moments where Williams had questionable body language or reactions. While he could understand the emotional turmoil of those moments, Johnson cautioned that they were often a sign of weakness. Getting that under control would be a huge first step in getting everybody to believe in what they’re doing. Williams saw those words play out in real time on Sunday.
Caleb Williams showed that maturity in the final moments of the game.
Cameras caught him on the sideline watching the Raiders’ field goal attempt. He wasn’t standing and directing traffic like he was against Washington before the Hail Mary or had his head down in despair. Caleb Williams was calmly watching from the bench, understanding that even if Las Vegas hit the kick, he’d still have some time left on the clock with a couple of timeouts. He had to maintain an air of calm. Thankfully, it didn’t matter. The kick was blocked. Williams stood up, raised his arms, and received a big hug from, of all people, D.J. Moore.
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One can understand if the quarterback rolled his eyes when Johnson brought up body language all those months ago. How is that pertinent to the success of the team on the field? The head coach, though, understood basic football psychology. Perception is reality. If players perceive that a teammate is something, that is the truth in their minds. So even if Williams might not actually be composed in certain moments, teammates will think he is. That will get them to act the same way. Many all-time greats, including Johnny Unitas, Joe Montana, and Tom Brady, have mastered this art.
After seeing it work for the first time, it appears Williams is ready to follow suit.