The Chicago Bears took Caleb Williams as the future of their franchise. And in two preseason games, he has exhibited glimpses of why he was the No. 1 overall draft pick. The QB has been sharp at times, going 17 of 25 for 220 yards and two touchdowns with a passer rating of 110.0 in the preseason. Though the stats indicate improvement, one glaring error has jumped out from the stat sheet. And rather than rallying around his QB, Bears offensive coordinator Declan Doyle put the blame directly in Williams’ lap.

Describing what was seen in the third quarter on the Bears’ first series, Doyle explained, ”The first couple series were not up to our standard of how we wanted to play,” Doyle explained. “What happens is we end up snapping the ball a little bit late. We end up having to rush the ball handling a little bit and the ball ends up on the ground. Which anytime it’s on the ground, it’s unacceptable. You don’t want to start the game that way.” Decan was direct: Caleb Williams’ error held the offense back before the unit had a chance to find its rhythm.

Doyle continued to detail how the snap caused trouble, “It ended up just being the snap timing was late and so because of that as he turned and kind of handed it. We were behind and so he sped it up and the ball ends up on the ground.” What could have been dismissed as a tiny preseason blunder soon became a lesson when Doyle decided to address it publicly. For Williams, it wasn’t only the play that was wrong; it was how it was framed afterward. Essentially, spotlighting his role in the blunder.

The issue is not only for this year. Last year, the defense sacked the young QB 68 times, and that’s a total no franchise can allow repeating. Even the coaching staff has recognized the inconsistency. Johnson left no doubt about where his priorities lie while noting, “We’ll go as long as we need to go to find the right guy. But we’d like to see someone go ahead and make it clear to us that he is that guy. And we just haven’t seen that yet as a staff. There’s been too much up and down,” through Courtney Cronin of ESPN.com. Comments from the head coach reiterated accountability issues, and Doyle doubled down on it.

By throwing Caleb Williams under the bus, Doyle made it clear that excuses won’t hide bad mistakes. The Bears have put enormous pressure on their QB, and the stats are a testament to why the pressure is legitimate. In 2024, Williams threw for 3,541 yards with a 62.5% mark in completions. He tossed 20 TDs and just 6 interceptions, but the 5-12 starter record showed Chicago’s inconsistency. And while a few other coaches would have given the cover, Doyle did the opposite. His remarks put Williams firmly at the center stage as the main reason for the collapse.

Declan Doyle issues a strong warning

If Doyle’s calling out Caleb was tough, his larger point to Williams was even more stern: errors like that simply cannot be allowed to occur. ”I think you’re always kind of in this balance of giving them too much versus giving them things that we feel like we can handle and really trying to push the envelope,” Doyle said. However, as per their FFT (fundamentals, finish, and technique), he explained that there’s never an excuse for a ball to be on the ground. That can never happen, regardless of what scheme they are running or what they are trying to do. Doyle was spelling out a standard that Williams will be judged against all season.

Part of Doyle’s approach stems from how the Bears have structured camp. Caleb Williams has been tasked with digesting a heavy playbook early on. The team clearly wanted to fast-track his development. ”Obviously, we’ve exposed them to a ton of scheme,” Doyle explained. “In the coming week, as we begin to prepare for Minnesota. We’re really condensing that down into where we feel like we can go out. And get the best and put our players in a position to be successful.” That is, Williams has been subjected to continuous stress testing. But nothing will deflect from careless execution.

Although the Bears are convinced they have finally found their franchise quarterback. Doyle’s words indicate an organization that is keen on hardwiring accountability in all aspects. How well Williams can learn from errors such as fumbled exchanges will determine how quickly he can improve the Bears’ offense. For now, the message from his coordinator is clear. The ball can never touch the ground, and excuses won’t be heard.