‘Much worse’ feeling about Caleb Williams following Bears’ loss to Vikings | FIRST THINGS FIRST

I have no sound. I didn't know we were starting. I was talking about old Chiefs teams. Sorry, my bad. Here we go. We're back.

Now we're back. About the good old days. I got you, Dust. It was from last year. We were talking about. What up, KW?

On the ropes.

He was looking back, whispering.

On the ropes. Who's on The Rose? You just did a long soliloquy. You didn't even recognize that Brew was in like nod mode.

Brew asked me a question.

Brew was in nod mode.

Brew does not like to talk two minutes before the show.

He was like, uh-huh.

And you kept on going, he's like, mm-hmm.

This is what I said before the show. You're just on what I said before the show was accurate. That's what I have. My goal of the next three days is to repair our relationship. You and me Kate. I work good. No, he's mad at me. I don't know why.

Why like my wife like like I know you're mad. You keep saying you're not mad. Just tell me why you're mad, because we're about to be out in public in Kansas City together, and we need to present. All right, I don't want to be weird.

I'm not mad.

The cheats are just O and one,

and your emotions are scrambled.

You're just anger everywhere.

He's like, this guy's mad.

Your wife, wives.

That's not what it is. It's Gi-Gi-Ans are 0 and 1.

That's it.

Can I tell you something?

That's what it is.

I think you're right. Yeah.

We start with the Bears. Caleb was 10 for 10. He's like, man, this is really working. Chicago was rolling, and then the wheels came off. Two touchdowns, 210 yards overall. But he only completed 44% of the rest of his passes. That's not good. Do you feel better or worse about Caleb and the Bears?

All right, can I tell you guys something?

Oh.

Here we go, man, you are just on tilt, dude. I'm not on tilt. Two straight days. I just have to tell you guys something.

Okay.

So I don't live tweet Chiefs games, but I live tweet basically any other standalone game, I'm usually live tweeting. And I'm known to be, you know, a little bit of a smart aleck, particularly if some of my takes look like they're going to prove correct.

You? And something struck me as concerning, because in the midst of Caleb starting 10 for 10. I didn't want to tweet because watching it. I was like, I don't think this is going to keep up. You agree where I was with the Ravens.

Oh,

the best I was like,

because because even with that start some of it was so hard. Like, he had to twice do kind of magical things to get a dump off.

Yeah.

You know what I mean? Like, do spin around and escape to end up checking down. And so the answer to the question is, I feel much worse. And it started with the Tyler Dunn article on his website over the weekend, which talked about the dysfunction of last year,

that personality, work ethic, or other potential issues that might prevent Caleb from reaching his full potential. Then during this game, it was so bad pre-snap. And Coach Mangini might over you know emphasize that but he did call someone into motion with three seconds on the play clock they were getting out of the huddle late the penalties which we can show you there were a bunch of penalties they're not all

on Caleb the pre-snap ones are not even all on Caleb, because it's false start, you know what I mean? Like, but some of them are. And the fact that he seems to be, at this point in his career, a bit of an emotional roller coaster, because he had not missed a pass until the fourth down that he missed badly.

And then you instantly saw him doing this thing on the bench again. Now he did, I don't want to say he snapped out of it, but it's not like he was, but he was a different player after that. He's a player that, the talent is undeniable.

The play on the sideline is undeniable that only a handful of guys in the whole league can

make.

But when if it was just that the pre snap stuff is bad then I deal with that to get that. But when you add to it he also missed some layups that would have won them the game like easy

The fourth down should have been an easy pass. He had a touchdown to Rome that could have been or DJ more pardon me. And so I am not out on Caleb Williams. I am pumping the breaks on my own timeline of when he will become a great player because I think he is further behind than he should be his first start of year to I do feel that way.

This is a momentous day to you it is to use and obviously I know he's not your main guy you may guys my homes. But you know Nick likes to use the dating you know the the road got you know dating him and all that. This is what we just witnessed. This is the equivalent of,

I wanna see other people. I mean, that's really what this is.

That was what it was.

I wanna see, we can still hang out, have fun, but I wanna see other people.

We're no longer exclusive.

Yeah, that's what that was. So I'm just letting you know. Thanks bro. But look, I'm with you to some degree in that I feel worse, too, about the Bears. I know it's just one game. I don't want to overreact. We obviously not changing our picks at this point.

They look like the worst team in the division, unless Detroit really has fallen off. I mean, obviously Green Bay looks great.

Oh, well, the Packers look awesome.

And Minnesota just beat them. And then Detroit, we assume, will still be a pretty good team. Minnesota's defense was better. Minnesota's quarterback was better, yesterday at least. Their run game was better. Their coaching was better. I mean, the adjustments they made at halftime

just seemed to have Ben Johnson like he didn't, you know, they didn't react well to him. And a lot of this, obviously, how you you feel about the Bears is a lot about Caleb. And look, he was he had his moments as he did his last year too, but he looked good at points, but Nick and I think that quote from him. Supports what I'm about to say.

He looks like a great athlete playing quarterback rather than a quarterback who happens to be a great athlete, like Mahomes, like Lamar, like Josh. Like he looks like a great, and the fact that you're still your second season, heck, first, when do you,

I can't really think off the top of my head the last quarterback that talked so much we talked so much about and he's talking in press conferences about we got out of the huddle fast or the plays came by the way I

did.

Basic got out of the huddle. No but but you know it's just just basic stuff that we take for granted. Like when you watch Caleb, you're looking to see that stuff. You're not really looking for that with any other quarterback, even a lot of the rookies for the most part. And so to me, that shows this dude is a phenomenal athlete and he is like the runs he made, the speed he showed, the arm strength. And so even like early on when he was 10 for 10 and Aikman did a great job of talking about this. Yeah, he was 10 for 10.

Obviously, a lot of stuff underneath check downs, but he was missing some stuff down the field. And to me, that says that Caleb kinda he's thinking too much much. Like he, in his mind, and Aikman talked about it, Ben Johnson has just been like, completions, completions, completions. Which has its value, but he was checking down,

like, it was like he almost made up in his mind, this is where I'm going, this is where I'm going, I just wanna make it easy. Which I get, cause that's what's being drilled into his head But that shows he's not playing instinctively his instincts are more what we saw in the second half. I'm not even talking about the Inaccuracy but running he wants to run he and I actually think

Not you should not treat him like Justin Fields No You should not treat him like Justin Fields. No. But I think they need to lean more into him running. Like he can be a dual threat quarterback. I'm not saying he'll be this good, but like a Lamar, like a Josh is a dual threat.

Jaylen. Justin Fields I wouldn't do, but like early Lamar.

No, not Justin Fields at all.

Early Lamar I think is interesting.

You know what I mean? Like, Jalen Hurt. I mean, Jalen Hurts, even. Like, he has that ability to... And he's just running now when he's scrambling. And maybe they're just like, look, we just want to get him playing on time.

We don't want to get him to think about running.

No, he's bigger than Lamar though. He's bigger than Lamar. Oh, I don't think so. No. You don't think Caleb Williams is more like stockier than Lamar? No, I think Lamar is like shot. If you see Lamar's neck, I talk about this a lot.

Yeah, the neck, I think, but whatever the case, do feel worse about them and him to a degree. But like Nick, I'm not giving up on him. But it wasn't a great look.

Go, KW.

Just saying, if Caleb is open to seeing other people.

Oh, because you already, you would have to officially throw in the towel on Drake May.

Cop a coffee.

On Drake May.

Cop a coffee is going to hurt anything?

You're not allowed to have friends.

Here's what I like.

This is what.

Week one.

The big question for us in sports television is, hey, was that week one performance just week one? Rusty, new system? Or was it indicative of something either more problematic or we're going to talk about J.J. week one performance, just week one, rusty, new system, or was it indicative of something either more problematic or, we're gonna talk about JJ, sign of things to come.

Burrow didn't have a good game. We're not here talking about what's wrong with Burrow.

Because of the track record.

Goff didn't have a good game, not saying what's wrong with Goff. Tua didn't have a good game, We are saying that even though to it has led the league with that offense with those wide receivers. We've seen him do great things that I'm giving a little bit to watching a little bit of the Manning cast and having Peyton man. He's like, oh Brian Flores can trust me on that. Yeah.

That that's a long way with me. No, I would like to see him to go. He's got Detroit next and Aaron Glenn's not there and Ben Johnson knows what they're gonna run I'm just saying that's listen that can I say best friend moving in? Oh

I said 11 minutes ago older cry. He's mad at me

Before they're even my ex can I say one thing again as I try to repair our relationship? Critical of...

We don't have a bad relationship. He's very mad at me, guys. Critical of Ben Johnson. Because here's the deal.

Go ahead.

I am used to and I expect the older coaches to not be as good at game management as I am. That's fine. I do not accept it from a guy who's supposed to be cutting edge and is my age.

And at the end of the game. When there's two or two left. You must must ensure you save the two minute warning. Ben said his plan was kick it through the back of the end zone,

Santos couldn't execute. Here's the problem, and this is, maybe some people look at it as next level or whatever, if you're a brand new head coach, supposed to be the smart guy, you have to get this the way I got it instantly.

The touchback these days is the 35.

Yeah.

What is the penalty for kicking it out of bounds? Or more accurately, with the new kickoff rule, just tapping the football. Oh, it didn't land in the landing zone. The penalty is the 40. You could have guaranteed you get the two minute warning by telling Santos, here's your job.

Walk up to the ball and tap it with your toe. It doesn't land in the landing zone. The ball is dead. No time runs off the clock. It is Minnesota ball at the 40, 2-0-2 left, guaranteed. You cannot risk losing the two-minute warning on weak-legged Cairo Santos being able to kick it out of the end zone when the maximum upside of that is five yards. You can guarantee you keep

the two-minute warning, giving the ball to 40 by just tapping the football. Now people listening, watching right now, be like, oh, I hadn't thought of that. It's not your job. It is Ben Johnson's.

I thought of it and Peyton Manning on the Manning cast thought of it evidently as well. I wasn't watching that broadcast. But you can't, that's a huge error that Ben Johnson can't make gotta be better.

Well, they may have gotten it back with a minute left.

Well, they did get it back with 20 seconds.

I'm saying yes.

Yeah, you know what they had done,

you know, just something there's a Detroit next week vibe check in Minnesota. Very high JJ McCarthy threw for two ran in a touchdown as the Vikings scored 21 in the fourth. Sam Donald's like, that used to be me. What do you make of JJ's comeback win, Bru?

I mean, obviously his numbers weren't the greatest, but can you have a better debut than this? You know, I mean, when you do something no one in the history of the league has done, which was the three touchdowns in the fourth quarter for the comeback, like, which was the three touchdowns in the fourth quarter, you know, for the comeback, like, it was great.

He showed resilience. He showed toughness. Now look, he did in fairness, he got a big boost from his defense, which was just great in the second half, only gave up to seven points late in the game. And then from his run game, which they ran for 85 yards in the second half,

to what that-

And a little from the officials.

A little.

What those, all that did is give him time to ease into the game. Look, he didn't look rattled to me at the beginning. He wasn't doing much, but he was passing the ball fine when he threw it. He was under a little duress from the pressure

from the Bears, but for him to bounce back from that pick six in his home city on the road in a huge standalone game on a 14, a team that was 14 and two last year and just let this quarterback who was in the MVP discussion go because of you and you're facing a big-name rookie the number one pick opposite you for him to do what he did was huge and So you mentioned Nick when we talk about Caleb the emotional roller coaster his his demeanor personality, whatever That is so big

for NFL quarterbacks. Like that's one of the intangibles. Like is this guy a leader of men, you know, do guys respect him and all that and he seems to have that. That's certainly what he showed in this game. And I think his confidence and the team's confidence in him

is going to take a huge jump because of this.

Well, listen, we can show you his fourth quarter versus the first three. It's Stark because he was he was having an awful game. He looked totally out of sorts. The pick six. It looked like ended the game. You know what I mean? And he was seemingly no threat whatsoever to go from that to that is Stark. It's, you know, almost more impressive than if he was just

mediocre the first three quarters and then, you know, I turned it on. I also think the story within the story is this is why the Minnesota Vikings believe they could move off 14 wins

because they believe that with that roster they currently have the coaching they currently have the situational sharpness the flip side of the Ben Johnson mistake is KOC had clearly told

him no matter what take it out. You know what I mean. Those things sets a floor. And so the floor the floor obviously is not 14 wins, but the floor is higher than most.

And so we'll roll the dice on upside and talent without, we don't think that if we're wrong about JJ McCarthy, we're about to be in a barren wasteland, the way the Giants or the Jets have found themselves when they have missed on a quarterback because we like our roster, we love our coaches,

we love our scheme, all those things. And so they take a chance on a kid who, it's really interesting, that game was a kind of what people said about him coming out of school, which was not that he would look bad and then look good, but like, can't explain it,

but he never loses faith in the kid's a winner. And I typically don't like that type of analysis, but in college, he made the plays when they asked him to make the plays. In the pros, in his first game ever, he looks totally out of his depth until he has to be good

and then was really good and tough and didn't lose confidence. You know what I mean? And so I think I think you got a glimpse of why people loved him. Some people loved him the way they did. You know, I joked about during the draft process that whenever we will talk about JJ McCarthy,

they talked about his handshake and what a good kid he was, not about like his throwing motion, but maybe for playing the quarterback position, some of those intangible things play a bigger factor than the numbers suggest, which probably supports, that's a cousin of supporting your guy jail.

football.

league office might come down today. Brew. do you think Jalen Carter should be suspended?

I'm going to be honest. Some of this is probably just my personal fandom.

No, I agree.

I want to see him played in this game on Sunday against the Chiefs, but I feel like he didn't play in this game last week, right? Like he didn't play one snap.

So I that could be viewed as the suspension doesn't matter to you that the league's like official policy is that's not how it's viewed.

Yeah.

Yeah, what I mean? I think mostly I agree, but I think mostly generally you've played some portion of the game when you're

suspended.

He played none. Look, if the league comes down on him and suspends him for a game, I'm not going to raise my voice in protest because I get it. It's a bad look. You got kids watching. You don't want that.

But I don't think he has to be suspended.

I think a hefty fine would suffice. Um, okay. So just like we're saying, you were saying, and I agree, it shouldn't play a role. It's not fair that it plays a role that this is a huge game in the Super Bowl rematch or whatever, but it does. Here's another thing that's not fair that it would play a role, but I wonder if it did the college football player from Florida

that spit on a kid this weekend. You know what?

I don't know if it's connected or not. So it's not nothing, but it's not necessarily something. And he has since apologized. And his spit seemed more egregious than Jaylen's, but he's also younger and not a pro. I saw that, and I was like,

I feel like I don't know how much of a percentage, but his odds of being suspended went up. Like, they're, like, Luis Suarez, soccer player, spit on a security guy and just got three games, but that was, that just happened as well.

Those two, right, but that guy's got a little crazy. Um, that's, that to me is coincidental. This might also be coincidental, but there's an element of, we went all, since we've been in this studio, let's just go the last four years,

we have not had a single college or pro football player of note in the discussion for spitting on a guy. And the fact that he does it Friday, or I'm sorry, Thursday, and then the Florida kid does it Saturday, I do wonder if the NFL almost feels a responsibility

to make it clear this is not, obviously it's not acceptable, but it is, the penalty is harsh. And so what I, listen, I think that it is outrageous if people get mad that he's suspended. You know what I mean? I think that this is a suspension is warranted. I also think that from a logical perspective, I agree with you, even though the rules say

that wasn't a suspension, that was an ejection, that was a suspension. And you know what I mean? And so I feel like he did, they don't do this in the NFL. Like I feel like he, if they said, hey, you have to miss the first quarter.

You know what I mean? Like you have to to miss you know a truly a full complete game They lost like they know I know that's not even allowed But you know what it like in college football you can suspend a guy for a half or something and so I don't think I also don't think he will be but if he is I Honestly believe the Florida kids kid spitting was one of the reasons why.

A lot of people didn't spit. So, maybe he should be like, well, So, maybe he should be like, well, most people did not.