Williams and Allen on expectations for matchup with Titans | Chicago Bears

how's it going everybody great when you got in here mat was very intentional about exposing you a lot whether it was information One Versus One competition looks you got from the defense as you go into the regular season what do you think the net gains were of getting so much thrown at you early on in your time here yeah it was great it was it was getting that much thrown at me at that time also going you know learning this this offense and obviously still learning but um basically having zero knowledge to the knowledge I have now of the off offense um has been tremendous because they've been challenging me from that stage um and and and until now they haven't been trying to you know add to the challenge throughout the time they you know first day they were just they were out there trying to get after us get after me um and and and uh bringing that challenge to me um and so uh it's been it's been awesome the amount of ball that I've been able to see the amount of ball that I've been able to learn uh from the coaches and also from being out there with the guys um listening to people like Keenan and also going versus the defense um so it's been great um it's been it's been it's been honestly really fun uh really exciting times and uh we're getting ready to go has pushed you through struggles that that you don't have to wait for the regular season to to experience for the first time yeah I think that I think that the way we practice um I don't think there's many teams uh that practice the way we do um and I and so I think uh being able to go versus defense like this um and and and how tough they are um on QBs and and things like that that you know I um you know going through this and and all of that I think it's I think it's going to help me for you know obviously there's going to be times when I do struggle but you know when when those times come you know you know how to um kind of get back on track you know how to you know react and and things like that in those moments and I think uh going versus defense you know every single day has helped as an extension of that flu said that you guys have worked on you know being able to prepare for adversity ahead of time are there mental exercises that he's put you through or any sort of tests that are not on the field that have helped you kind of prepare for what you may see if something does go wrong in a moment on Sunday yeah I would say the constant communication um is is key um a lot of times when things go wrong there's a there's a slip of of communication there's a slip of um information that we have so I think I think first and foremost I think it's the constant communication and information that that that we're Gathering um each each day in day in day out um and then I think um you know for the adversity part of it you know when it does happen I think um it goes back to again communication you know um understanding that you know the situation I'm in you know bad things are going to happen um every once in a while you're going to throw a pick you're going to Fumble um whether it's me whether it's team whether it's you know we're going to jump off sides we're going to do a bunch of things so when those when those moments of adversity strike it's more about encouraging it's more about um understanding um that we can get out of the situation and not um not bringing more negativity to the to the situation um that that that that comes up um and so uh I think the communication um and information part and then also just understanding um there's going to be a lot more times obviously you you can't be doing it every single drive or every single play but there's going to be a lot more times throughout the games or uh practices where um there's going to be a lot more good than bad you just can't let the bad out outweigh the uh the good about been working on you've been working towards this goal first NL regular season game very long time yep are you g to take a moment to step back maybe during pregame just to take it all in or just like well when I when when feet touch the grass it's going to be business as usual um um but I probably will take a I normally like to when I run out the stadium kind of do a little spin in the tunnel uh when I'm coming out the tunnel just kind of see the stadium take it all in and and and and feel the you know the energy the vibe and and and uh get going from there once I do my spin get down to the sideline it's it's go time you talked about you talked about envisioning every step of this process from since you were a kid talking about the hman and being number one pick and all those things have comes through fruition for you I imagine you've also envisioned what your first regular season NFL G be like maybe was 350 are youfor thees decide the best game plan for this first game to run the ball is to run the ball and win the game that's it yeah I mean just it a't 350 in the four exactly yeah yeah yeah if we you know we come out and decide that um offensive line is dominating wide receivers are dominating blocks we're extending runs and things like that um coach always talks about backside wins championships front side wins games and things like that so um if we got guys out there you know giving that type of energy and you know we're handing the ball off and we're getting a I don't know a five a pop I mean it's hard to beat you know hard to beat that and so um one you control the game you control the clock all these different things um keeping their their offense off the field and a bunch of different things so um you know I think that uh you know if that's the case that's the case um as long as we get a win um cuz last time I remembered um know the wins are the most important thing and so as long as we get that win at the end of the day um 100 yards 400 you know it it's It all becomes the same going to locker room you celebrate you cheer um got your 24hour period to to to enjoy the win and then uh from there you move on and get ready for the next team one of the big one of the big adjustments one of the big adjustments for rookie quarterbacks is always the speed and how quickly Windows close and we saw in Hard Knocks I think one of the episodes Matt was telling you on the practice field that window doesn't stay open yep can't throw that y so what has that adjustment been like for you when do you feel like you got the hang of how quickly you have to recognize and jump on opportunities yeah I think I think partly um I think the biggest thing and and the biggest difference from college is that there's guys that's been in a league for 12 years um and so they've seen a bunch of different things and then there's a guy that comes in the league and he's he's been there for four months like myself three months and so um you know it's it's I think it's more of the information that we have um the younger guys and then obviously the older guys they have so they've seen so much more they have a lot more information they've seen a bunch of offenses and formations and different routes and how people have ran the routes and things like that so um I think the biggest adjustment is is is understanding that those guys have a lot more knowledge a lot more information a lot more time and you know things like that spent to spent into this game of of the NFL and so um I think that's the biggest adjustment that everybody has to understand or at least I've I've kind of come to that is that you know the rookies we don't have as much knowledge and things like that so um you have to find ways to to be a lot more in time you have to you know um know your offense in and out um and then from there you can grow and and and and things like that um and then as they always say um things will start slowing down at at whatever point that may be um you know when you know all your stuff um you know you catch up to the speed of your guys and all your stuff um know when routes are going to break um and and not holding and and and and sitting on routes um as a QB um is really important if it's not there if it's not what you thought it was going to be you know move on to the next route or or move on to the checkdown Caleb what does it mean to you to be named a captain of this group The Talented roster you have that's my first question and the second part is um we keep hearing the coaches want you to lean on those guys around you um what have you learned about the talent around you yeah I've I've said this since you know I've come here we got a top five defense we just drafted a punter um in the fourth round I believe um you know we got we got Cairo uh cyos uh Mr Santos um we have uh this like I said this amazing defense we got special special guys a wide receiver we got a special running back our offensive line um I believe in our Run game has been like top five in the past two or three years um and so um it's it's it's what I said um when I was first drafted or around that time of I'm going to do whatever I need to do uh for my team to win um and you know that's like I spoke about earlier handing the ball off leaning on my guys um if that's dropping back throwing the ball 30 times that's doing that um it's it's it's leading on my talent I'm not trying to do anything special and then you know when those moments happen when those moments come up um you know third Downs um into games and things like that obviously you know there's some routine plays but you know a lot of times those moments are times where you know it's time to time to be special um and so um you know understanding the the leaning on your guys and also understanding the right situation to go and you know do special things on the field um there's a there's a certain balance that you have to find and you know we've been we've been working our tail off I've been working my tail off to try and find it um and so it's been it's been great it's been fun um and then your second question about the the yeah being a captain uh I'm I'm extremely grateful um I don't I can't really think of how many rookies are are captains with especially with a a team so talented like this um you know with a lot of I guess you can say vet guys we're a pretty young team but we have obviously a good amount of vets um in this in this on this team and so uh to be named a captain by by my peers and colleagues and my teammates and uh my friends and brothers um extremely grateful extremely happy um and uh something I told them as soon as you know I got to be able to break it down or talk to them and things like that so um you know ready to go fired up uh extremely grateful um and and you know we're excited Caleb a lot a lot of your success as a rookie is going to be based on your ability to learn well and learn quickly yep uh how much can you is can you is there an example like maybe in your first game in College High School anywhere at USC just where you've had to learn quickly and learn well yeah um I would say one of the times that I had to learn quickly and learn well um other than this time um is uh my freshman year um both my freshman years whether it's high school or college um I came in a situation where it was kind of same uh where I wasn't the starter immediately as soon as I came in um I had to learn a whole offense um to be able to put myself in a position and be able to start um whether it was first game or you know like in college whether it was the sixth or seventh g game um and so um I think those times um have helped me I also think that I have the ability to learn fast um I think that's my phone not his um it's my alarm to eat um but um you know the the abil ability to learn fast I think uh that has grown over time um obviously seeing a bunch of different um being in a bunch of different games seeing a bunch of different films and things like that I think that's helped um um being in these these offenses uh that I've been in uh in high school I was a little bit more under Center I had a few more play actions from under Center and things like that uh in college I was a little bit more spread uh throwing the ball around a lot more uh seeing a bunch of different concepts of of of space and all these different things so I've gotten a bunch of different um you know different types of of of playing uh throughout my years and I think it's help me tremendously to be able to learn this offense how how are you painting yourself a picture of the Titans defense for this week with a first time coordinator in his first game and not a lot to to study on on film yeah that's the that's the interesting part is that um there's there's not film to study uh from whether it's you know a couple years ago or anything like that he was the secondaries coach um um not too long ago at the Ravens and things like that so um you know we're we're you know we're something that we say we're not hunting ghosts um and so we're not hunting you know ghost of of of you know things that you know they may run may not run uh you know we're we're going off of you know kind of what we've seen um some of the some of the base things that we do know um and other than that I mean they have players um they got guys on that on the other side so they I mean they've got Landry and 98 they got um Sneed obviously and they got Diggs from from Seattle and all these other guys uh Murray um horns down um but uh no it's it's they got they got some guys over over there that I think fit their their scheme well they just got the guy Ernest from um from uh Rams and things like that so um I think that um you he's done a great job so far building his team and then um you know on on on noon uh of of Sunday we'll be able to see kind of what they're actually doing and then you know we'll make our adjustments um in the game and then go from there thanks guys awesome thank you everybody the Bears how you feeling feel good good good go with uh injury wise 100% day by day by day ke is there a good way to uh explain or express your confidence in Caleb as a first-time starter with high expectations of really being successful um yeah I mean the expectation is you know the um you know what it always is you know uh winning at the end of the day and um you know no matter who who the quarterback is you want to win and U you know I wouldn't rather be with another guy right now than Caleb um you know I think he showed um great um I don't know uh what it called he's gotten better ever since we've started and um you know I think the confidence is through the roof Keenan what have you seen specifically with his work ethic behind the scenes over the months that you've been here what kind of worker has he been yeah I think he's been great um like I said he's gotten better you know ever since OTAs when we first started and um you know just seeing him uh just kind of get the terminology the uh the Huddle calls um how to change the plays and everything uh I think he's did a great job you you've been around Young quarterbacks like Justin obviously um how how is this different uh both really high picks obviously he's the first overall pick yeah like what how how is Caleb special um his confidence um you know he's been he's always been the guy um you know and uh when we first had Herbert he wasn't really the starter going into week one so um that's that's a difference and um you know he's like I said he's always been the guy so he's always had the expectation of um of playing at at that level that we play at so um you know I think he's ready for I think he's up for the task and like I said confidence is good Gotan on the talent around him how have you noticed from the very beginning to where you're at now him being able to delegate to you guys maybe not trying to take on too much on his own which may might have been something he was accustomed to at other point yeah um well we just talking last night he wants to get the ball out of his hands you know um just getting getting into our hands The Playmakers the talent that coach is talking about and um you know just let let everything happen for itself instead of trying to wait wait on plays that aren't really there and you know try to create your own plays that's how you fall into mistakes and fall behind the downs and um stuff like that so just try to get us the ball early and um let us work he goes into scramble mode and his first instinct is I'm still looking to pass as a receiver how do you have to mean trying to get open and stay open how does that change what you have to do in that moment if you oh yeah I mean you just stay alive you know at any time he can roll out and uh make a pass and you know that's kind of when he's at his best when he's off schedu throwing those uh those crazy passes off one leg you know turning around and stuff so um you just got to stay alive and um you know just expect it you're approaching week one and you know you have a talented roster and we always hear how important a fast start is what does that look like from a player responsibility thing to not come out there and be you know because there is only so much tape you can look at and so much there's a lot of unknowns how do you tangibly start fast uh it's about doing your job um everybody just do their job um work with each other communicate um everybody on the same page and um just try not to shoot yourself in the foot jard Wilson has said consistently that he wants his Corners to press up is that a good idea against the wide receivers that you guys have that's the Titans whoever you talking about uh yeah sure you you've been the clear number one receiver for so long in terms of targets being number one option in the offense how do you feel about coming into a situation where it's probably going to be more balanced that might not be what's asked to be I kind of love it um yeah I mean just holding the expectation of you know kind of carrying the offense so to speak you know we I've always had guys around me who could make plays as well too but um you know injuries happen things happen and then you're all of a sudden the guy that's getting you know the majority of the touches but you know like you said it's going to be balanced and um you know I think it's going to be good even in a contract year you're cool with that that things are going to be spread out yeah I mean I'm not looking to make 35 million you're coming off a peak year but at your age you're you're at an age where frankly a lot of Hall of Fame receivers have have started to drop off what what have you done to kind of make sure that you're as quick as you ever were as good as you ever were have you been cognizant of that of maintaining that where where you are in your in your birth yeah I think just keeping the main thing the main thing um not changing anything um sticking to the script trusting the process and um you know just trying to I don't know um remain me I guess but you feel as good physically as you have in yeah recent years if not you know obviously I imagine that as a rookie or whatever but absolutely yeah still feel good what there's been a lot of there's been a lot of hype around this team since you arrived and Caleb is there a level of curiosity you have as to what it will all look like in the regular season I mean yeah I think you get that kind of every season um you're you're always excited to go out and um get that first game under your belt and just see you know what kind of team we are and um same thing what have you liked about you about the offense that Shane wal has built um just seeing how he progressed it with Gino you know you seen Gino come alive I played with Gino as well you just seen him coming live with with Shane and um you know just be able to make plays and um you know he just looked you know way comfortable um versus being with us so um you know I'm excited to see it you I'm sure you've had a lot of moments since you got here where it's like you're in a New Jersey new building for the first time in your career is there going to be a moment on Sunday too for your first regular season game and in another yeah for sure um you know when I when when you do think about game day been playing with the that other team for so long it's like not going to be in that Stadium or I'm not going to be in those color so it's a little bit different but you know it's still football when you guys were in Kansas City and I think Caleb was talking with micle Hardman and he said like I don't get nervous before games you said yeah you're gonna be spooked before one like it just seems like he has this sort of confidence that's not normal of a rookie how do you build that confidence up if he says he's not going to get nervous okay but also help him along the way if he does come into you know a couple bumps in the road in his first real game yeah well the good thing about it is nothing changes you know football still football still 11 on 11 still going to be tackling still going to be running around having fun so um that's that's the good thing about it the bad thing is you know only thing that really can happen is it doesn't go your way and uh how do you respond you know just keep things going um stay under control and um you know like you said trust the guys around Youk thank you