Bears appreciate 'bossy' QB Caleb Williams and get acclimated to London

 

[October 10, 2024]  By KEN MAGUIRE

WARE, England (AP) — Bears wide receiver DJ Moore has noticed a change in rookie quarterback Caleb Williams.

In a good way, and it seems to be working.

“He’s been bossy lately, telling us that we need to be on the details,” Moore said Wednesday.

The Bears are in London to face the Jacksonville Jaguars after back-to-back wins in which Williams began to show why he was the No. 1 pick in the draft.

Williams threw two touchdown passes to Moore in Chicago’s 36-10 victory over the Carolina Panthers. That followed a 24-18 win over the Los Angeles Rams.

“What I mean by bossy is, we don’t hit something in practice, he’s going to tell us how we need to run it,” Moore said. “We just look at him and be like ‘OK.’ When we get out there in the game, you just better make sure it works because he’s going to have some words for you if you don’t. That’s him being a leader.”

Moore likened his 22-year-old quarterback to a little brother.

“So you are looking at him like, ‘Dude, don’t be talking to me like that.’ But I understand because we need to really connect on that," the veteran receiver said. "That’s what we did this past week. I took his advice, I listened. Older bro had to take a back seat for a second.”

Moore had clapped and welcomed Williams into the news conference area and smiled and glanced his way when he talked about his quarterback's progress. They spoke after the team held two 30-minute walkthrough sessions at Hanbury Manor.

The quarterback, reflecting on his five NFL games, credited his growing confidence in “growing up a little” and getting more comfortable in the offense.

And yes, being bossy.

“Partially it was me learning everybody and understanding how everybody reacts to certain things,” he said. “Certain people you can be a little bossy with, certain people you have to talk very monotone and (in) control of yourself.”

Speaking of speaking up, Williams said one of the biggest changes from the college game is “trying to hear in the headset, especially on third down.”

Brisker ruled out

Bears defensive back Jaquan Brisker was ruled out of Sunday’s game because of a concussion. He had collided with Panthers tight end Tommy Tremble and a day later reported symptoms.

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams throws before an NFL football game against the Carolina Panthers Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

“Tackle with your shoulders — that’s what he was executing on that play. He had his shoulder in there and just went helmet to helmet somehow,” coach Matt Eberflus said.

Elijah Hicks will start in Brisker’s absence.

“He’s been in our system, so we trust him, know him,” Eberflus said.

Also ruled out were DL Zacch Pickens (groin) and DB Terell Smith (hip) ... DB Kyler Gordon (heel bruise) and OL Teven Jenkins (ankle) were limited in practice.

Early arrival

The Bears arrived Tuesday and will have a big head start in the jet lag department. The Jags don't arrive until Friday morning. Experts say reaction time, cognitive processing and decision-making can all be impacted.

“You definitely can get off to a fast start if you really get acclimated here early on in the week,” Moore said.

Madrid in 2025?

The Bears and the Miami Dolphins are the only two NFL teams with rights in Spain under the league's “ global markets program.” Next year, Madrid will host a game for the first time.

Bears president Kevin Warren wouldn't say if the team is lobbying to play in that game — to be held in Real Madrid’s iconic Santiago Bernabeu Stadium — but said he's a big supporter of the NFL's aggressive international push.

“Anytime you get a chance to play on an international basis, I want to lean into it," he said.

Bears go way back

In 1986, the Bears played the Dallas Cowboys at Wembley Stadium in a preseason game best remembered locally by a touchdown scored by William “Refrigerator” Perry. The Bears won 17-6. It was part of the “American Bowl” series. Jim McMahon and three teammates replicated the famous Beatles album cover when they crossed Abbey Road — the quarterback doing so barefoot as Paul McCartney did.

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