As they prepare for the prime-time showdown against the Chicago Bears, two coaches for the San Francisco 49ers recognize the talent that is going up against them, most notably quarterback Caleb Williams.
Last year, the Bears also traveled to the Bay Area, where they were pummeled, 38-13, in the middle of their 10-game losing streak. Now, both teams are in a much better position, battling for a top seed in the NFC playoff picture, with the Bears also winning the NFC North, and the 49ers fighting for the NFC West division title.
One of the biggest keys to Chicago’s success has been the work that first-year head coach Ben Johnson has done with Williams, and San Francisco’s coaching staff has taken notice of it. Both head coach Kyle Shanahan and defensive coordinator Robert Saleh sang praises of Williams in his second season.
“His arm talent is elite,” Saleh said. “He can make every throw, it feels like when he starts scrambling he gets more accurate. He’s really, really dangerous when he leaves the pocket, he’s on the run, he’s hard to bring down in the pocket. He does a great job escaping the pocket, they’re doing a really good job with him, I think he’s improved tremendously from a year ago. Credit to Ben and his staff.”
Following the words of his defensive coordinator, Shanahan gave even more credit to Williams, saying the second-year quarterback is one of the most talented players at his position.
“Caleb’s one of the best throwers, one of the most athletic quarterbacks I’ve ever seen in terms of his height, weight, and speed,” Shanahan said. “He makes some big time throws, extremely scary on the perimeter, can hold onto the ball for a while, not in a bad way. When you have a talented guy like that who has the speed and the size, usually they get a run game, you limit how many times you have to drop back and it makes sense why he’s playing at such a high level.”
There’s no denying that Williams has grown since his first meeting against the 49ers last year, but in order to really prove it, he’ll have to play up to his highest potential on Sunday night.
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: 49ers coaches had high praise for Bears QB Caleb Williams
Reporting by Mike Pendleton, Bears Wire / Bears Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
