Almost everything has been perfect with Caleb Williams this year. He’s taking far fewer sacks than he did as a rookie. He’s on track to finish with over 3900 passing yards and has 16 touchdowns to just four interceptions. Even his threat as a runner has become more effective with three touchdowns. He had zero last year. However, there is one persistent issue the Chicago Bears quarterback has yet to escape. Through 11 games, his 59.2% completion percentage is worse than his rookie season. Some of it can be attributed to drops by his receivers, but a significant portion is due to accuracy issues.
Too many of Williams’ passes have not been on target this season. They either sail too far over the heads of receivers or spray wide. People keep wondering what the problem is. Williams, to his credit, revealed it during his latest press conference.
“My feet, I was where I should have been when dropping back, but my base got wide, and my legs weren’t fully under me early in the game.”
Footwork is the most important part of a quarterback’s accuracy when throwing from the pocket. If it’s not tight and timed properly, the ball often goes in unintended directions. There were multiple examples of this in the Steelers game. You could see Williams either let his left foot drift too wide or didn’t reset his feet before throwing.
What Caleb Williams is experiencing is hardly uncommon.
Learning professional footwork is not easy. However, it has become especially difficult in modern times because many college programs no longer teach it. Most teams opt for spread-style schemes, where the quarterback is almost exclusively in shotgun or pistol formations. Footwork isn’t as prominent in those systems as it is under center. Josh Allen faced a similar issue during his early years in Buffalo. It took him around three seasons to fully grasp the art. Caleb Williams has improved considerably from where he was in August, but this is not something you master in a few short months.
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The key with this is patience and repetition. As Williams learns the system and increases his comfort level, his footwork should become more natural. That is when the throws will become more accurate. The coaches have done a great job of staying on top of him throughout the process, never letting things slide.