The primary Thanksgiving recreation is a fairly enjoyable one, with the rivalry between the Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions including one other chapter. It is a good one to begin the time off with, particularly because the meals continues to be getting cooked. A pleasant solution to begin the day with some soccer and chatting with household. What I’d be looking out for is the Bears’ offense towards this Lions’ protection that’s enjoying at a extremely excessive degree.
Ever since Bears’ offensive coordinator Shane Waldron was fired, it looks like rookie QB Caleb Williams has morphed into a totally completely different participant. He’s enjoying faster (common time to throw of two.42 seconds in weeks 11 and 12, in comparison with his season common of two.8 seconds), scrambling extra (averaging 5 scrambles per SIS during the last two weeks, in comparison with two by means of weeks one and ten), and proven extra of what we noticed of him whereas he was at USC. It’s what all of us have been ready for when he bought to the NFL, and regardless of not resulting in many wins but, he seems to be way more snug within the move of the sport. Regardless of the loss to the Minnesota Vikings in time beyond regulation, I assumed Williams had a extremely good recreation, with some excessive degree stuff in there. Let’s hop into it and see what he did so nicely.
I feel Williams has appeared way more assured throwing the ball downfield and showcasing a few of the liveliness in his arm. Interim OC Thomas Brown has made it appear like the passing recreation has been extra open, and Williams has been the beneficiary of that. There’s some excessive degree throws blended into this tape, stuff that I’m glad Williams is getting the possibility to indicate off. I actually like the arrogance to take this throw, however let’s dissect it and see the place Williams was proper and fallacious.
So this one was enjoyable as a result of WR DJ Moore was lined up within the backfield. They ship him into burst movement and play motion a run with him. From right here we get a put up by the skin receiver and an out route by Keenan Allen. Williams is trying to get this ball to Allen, however LB Andrew Van Ginkel is dropping into this window. The place I feel Williams goes fallacious is within the timing of this throw. In case you look from the endzone angle, you possibly can see that this play most likely comes open a bit of sooner than Williams lets this ball go. Nonetheless, that is in right here as a result of having the arm audacity to make this throw is fairly freakin’ neat, should you ask me, Williams whipping this throw in there reveals off some sick arm expertise, the factor that Bears followers can get excited for.
He additionally did this, a really good throw throughout the course of. The Vikings are spot dropping to Cowl 3 after displaying a blitz on the line of scrimmage. What I really like about this throw by Williams is the ball placement, retaining this one on the again shoulder so Allen is protected against a giant hit by the one security. He would possibly’ve been in a position to let this go a bit of earlier however I nonetheless like the method significantly better than what Williams has proven in earlier weeks.
Williams additionally had some actually excessive degree chaos throws, those that we noticed from him at USC. The issues that we thought he would convey to the NFL, however have been seemingly suppressed in hopes of proving he’s a pocket passer. Since Waldron was fired, Williams has been extra keen to do extra of the skin the pocket issues that he’s used to doing. This was a peak NONONONONONONONONONOYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYES play from Williams, escaping the stress and discovering D’Andre Swift on a 40 yard achieve. I’m undecided how actually sustainable that is, nevertheless it’s refreshing to see Williams get again into this a part of his arsenal on the NFL degree. By the primary half of the season, it felt like Williams was making an attempt to constrain himself to the purpose of not enjoying like himself. This seems to be like USC Caleb Williams, and that’s fairly cool.
This one to maintain the Bears happening their last drive earlier than time beyond regulation was my favourite throw of the day by Williams, an absolute rip on a dig route that made for a piece play. One of many first stuff you study in soccer is that the dig is all the time open, and the Bears ran it very well out of a three-man idea. You get two over routes to filter out the center of the sphere, and WR DJ Moore is available in on a dig. Take a look at the arrogance that Williams reveals throwing this factor into a decent window. This, this proper right here is the nice shit.
Whereas Williams wasn’t excellent (he took a BAD sack in time beyond regulation and had a number of bizarre misses downfield), the truth that he’s enjoying with a bit extra freedom ought to be a welcome signal for Bears followers. This was the man you’ll hope to see, flashes of the electrifying playmaking mixed with some actually goofy stuff as nicely. Williams’ skill to create and prolong performs will probably be put to the check on Thanksgiving towards a Detroit line of defense that is stuffed with ass kickers. Lions’ DT Alim McNeill was rewarded with a giant extension midseason, and he’s backed it up in a giant means. Towards the Colts he was darn close to unblockable, ending with two pressures, a compelled fumble and a holding penalty drawn. McNeill has ascended to be one of many higher DTs within the recreation, and on Thanksgiving it’s good to look out for large quantity 54, particularly when paired with DT DJ Reader.
McNeill’s energy is just absurd, with the ability to generate pressure in such a monster means. He introduces poor quantity 68 to the turf in a loopy present of energy, getting a stress and forcing an incompletion. Take a look at how he’s in a position to get his fingers inside on the guard and simply drive him into the turf. That’s a grown ass man, man.
McNeill additionally drew a holding on a vital fourth down that stored a giant play off the board for the Colts. He treats this proper guard like a blocking sled once more, hitting him with a bull rush then ending with a swim transfer that attracts a holding penalty. He’s thirteenth in ESPN’s Go Rush Win Charge for defensive tackles, and you’re feeling it when he’s on the sphere.
Reader came visiting to Detroit from Cincinnati in free company, and his play when wholesome has helped put the Lions at seventh within the NFL in EPA allowed per speeding try. Watch him discard the precise guard right here and get entangled on this run play.
Whereas the Lions haven’t actually been in a position to replicate the sheer pressures of star EDGE Aidan Hutchinson, getting McNeill and Reader to be Detroit’s BeBop and Rocksteady has been actually cool, and essential to their defensive success currently. They get a extremely favorable matchup towards a Bears’ OL that’s questionable to say the least. Preserve a watch out for these two on Thursday.
