Tag: Alan Williams

Chicago Bears defensive coordinator Alan Williams resigns

Chicago Bears defensive coordinator Alan Williams has resigned

The Chicago Bears’ Wednesday took another crazy turn as defensive coordinator Alan Williams resigned.

Williams was in his second season as defensive coordinator for the Bears. Williams has 31 seasons of coaching experience.

When trying to call up his bio page on Chicagobears.com the following message came up:

Please bear with us, this page doesn’t exist.

The news came on a day that saw quarterback Justin Fields speak to the media twice.

In his first session, the QB said he “needs to think less and play with instinct.”

He also addressed coaching.

“Could be coaching, I think. At the end of the day, they’re doing their jobs when they’re giving me what to look at. But I can’t be thinking of that when the game comes — I prepare myself throughout the week, and when the game comes, it’s time to play free at that point.”

Fields later attempted to clarify his comments.

Bears DC Alan Williams has resigned

Alan Williams has resigned as defensive coordinator of the Bears.

Alan Williams has resigned as defensive coordinator of the Chicago Bears, according to a statement released on Wednesday.

There’s been plenty of rumors and speculation circulating about Williams’ absence since last week’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. But, according to Williams’ statement, he’s stepping back “to take care of my health and family.”

Here’s Williams’ statement:

“It is with great regret that I tender my resignation as the Defensive Coordinator of the Chicago Bears Football Club effective immediately.

“I am taking a step back to take care of my health and family. I appreciate the opportunity to work with the Chicago Bears, a storied NFL franchise with a rich history. The McCasky family is first-class and second to none. I would also like to thank Coach Matt Eberflus and General Manager Ryan Poles for giving me the opportunity to come to Chicago. I would also like to thank President Kevin Warren, the coaches and player of which I value the relationships and camaraderie.

“I value the NFL shield and all that it stands for and after taking some time to address my health, I plan to come back and coach again.”

Williams did not travel with the team to Tampa last week to face the Buccaneers due to personal reasons. Head coach Matt Eberflus called defensive plays in his absence.

Earlier on Wednesday, Eberflus remained mum on details of Williams’ absence and whether he would return. Now, we know.

With Williams no longer in Chicago, it’ll likely be Eberflus calling plays on defense until he finds a replacement.

Matt Eberflus won’t say when — or if — Bears DC Alan Williams will return

The Bears head coach declined to say whether Alan Williams was still the team’s defensive coordinator or not.

The Chicago Bears may be without defensive coordinator Alan Williams for another week, if he’s even still the team’s defensive coordinator at all. Head coach Matt Eberflus met with the media on Wednesday and was asked about the status of Williams, who has been away from the team for the last week with a personal matter. Eberflus was oddly coy with his answers.

“I do not have an update on Alan Williams right now,” Eberflus said when asked by CHGO’s Nicholas Moreano if the defensive coordinator would return this season. Mark Potash of the Chicago Sun-Times followed up by asking if Williams was still the defensive coordinator, and Eberflus repeated his statement. The Bigs’ Herb Howard asked if Eberflus had spoken to Williams, and once again, the head coach declined to answer.

The hope is that Williams is okay with whatever issue he’s currently dealing with, but it’s curious that Eberflus won’t answer whether or not he’s even still the team’s defensive coordinator at this point. Eberflus took over defensive play-calling last week in Williams’ absence in the 27-17 loss vs. the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He will likely do that again this week if Williams remains out.

Williams has been the team’s defensive coordinator since 2022, when he followed Eberflus to Chicago from the Indianapolis Colts. Under his coaching, the defense has totaled just 21 sacks, 14 interceptions, and 16 forced fumbles. The unit struggled against the Green Bay Packers in Week 1 and didn’t look much better in Week 2 with Eberflus calling plays.

The Bears take on the Kansas City Chiefs and their potent offense in Week 3, and it’s anyone’s guess as to whether Williams will be back for that game or not.

5 biggest storylines going into Week 2 against the Buccaneers

The Bears are looking to get their first win of the season against the Buccaneers. Here’s what to watch for on Sunday:

The Chicago Bears have the chance to rebound following a brutal Week 1 loss and advance to 1-1 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.

It’s been a tumultuous week in Halas Hall this week; both defensive coordinator Alan Williams and starting guard Nate Davis will not join the team in Tampa Bay due to personal reasons, and several players admitted that last week’s embarrassing loss to Green Bay was a humbling experience.

It’s all culminated in what’s generally perceived as a “must-win” game in only the second week of the NFL season. The dire circumstances are not an over-exaggeration; several jobs, both players and coaches, could be on the line if Chicago’s fails in the same spectacular fashion as they did last week.

From a pure football perspective, the Bears’ game against the Bucs is certainly winnable. Tampa Bay has talent, particularly at receiver and at the defensive line, but Chicago has talent too. The two squads are more evenly matched than many anticipated, and it should make for an interesting game, to say the least.

As the Bears’ soap opera of a week reaches its climactic conclusion, let’s go over the five biggest storylines heading into this Week 2 against the Buccaneers.

Bear Necessities: With Alan Williams out, Matt Eberflus to call plays vs. Bucs

Alan Williams won’t travel to Tampa, which means Matt Eberflus will call defensive plays for the Bears. We recap Friday’s headlines.

This is our online morning newsletter, Bear Necessities. Subscribe to get the latest Bears news delivered to your mailbox every day.

What’s the latest with the Chicago Bears?

The Bears will be without defensive coordinator Alan Williams, who isn’t making the trip to Tampa because of personal reasons. That means it’ll be head coach Matt Eberflus will be calling defensive plays for the Bears against the Bucs on Sunday.

Here’s a look at the most recent and relevant Bears stories for the morning of Sept. 16.

Bears HC Matt Eberflus to call defensive plays vs. Bucs

Bears defensive coordinator Alan Williams won’t make the trip to Tampa for personal reasons, so Matt Eberflus will call plays vs. Bucs.

The Chicago Bears will face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, where Chicago is looking to rebound after an embarrassing showing in Week 1. And there will be some changes on defense for the Bears.

Head coach Matt Eberflus announced that he will call defensive plays against the Bucs because defensive coordinator Alan Williams won’t make the trip to Tampa because of personal reasons.

“With the defense up, I’ll be making the calls,” Eberflus said.

Williams wasn’t at practice Thursday and Friday because of what the team called personal reasons. Eberflus doesn’t have a timeline for when Williams could return.

With Eberflus stepping in for Williams, it’ll be interesting to see what changes…if anything. Last week, the Bears struggled to generate pressure on Packers quarterback Jordan Love, making just his second NFL start. Chicago didn’t blitz the young quarterback, and he had all day in the pocket to shred the secondary.

In nine of the last 11 games under Williams, the Bears’ defense has allowed 28-plus points. We’ll see if that changes Sunday against a Bucs offense that didn’t light the world on fire in Week 1.

3 key matchups to watch as Bears battle the Bucs in Week 2

The Bears are looking to get their first win of the season against the Bucs, and we discuss the three matchups to watch for in Week 2.

The Chicago Bears were shaken to their core after they lost a humiliating game to the rival Green Bay Packers in Week 1, and both the coaching staff and players are searching for answers.

The Bears’ Wednesday press conference revealed much of where the team’s collective head space is at as they prepare to travel to Tampa Bay to battle the Buccaneers.

Head coach Matt Eberflus is seriously considering a lineup change after a certain player’s lack of effort last Sunday, quarterback Justin Fields is vowing to air the ball downfield after an uncharacteristically coy throwing performance in Week 1 and safety Jaquan Brisker had a text-off with Fields about getting their energy up — seriously.

Despite all the talk and rumination on what went wrong in Week 1, the Bears must go into the Buccaneers’ Raymond James Stadium with a “must-win” mentality and get the season back on course. Chicago will be aiming to succeed in three crucial aspects in order to come out of Week 2 with a 1-1 record.

Let’s discuss the three key matchups to watch in Week 2.

Good, bad and ugly from Bears’ Week 1 loss vs. Packers

The Bears suffered a heart wrenching loss in Week 1 against the Packers. Let’s take a look at the good, bad and ugly from the game.

It’s alright, Bears fans. You can uncover your eyes. The Packers aren’t here to hurt you anymore. Chicago suffered a horrific, demoralizing loss to Green Bay to kick off the new season, getting trampled and beat up all game. The offense played scared and only pushed the ball downfield when it was too late, and the defense got torn apart by a Packers’ offensive gameplan that could have easily been adjusted too.

It all resulted in a Packers win, the NFL signing their praises about Green Bay QB Jordan Love who didn’t even do too much to beat Chicago, and both the Bears’ fanbase and the team searching for answers. With that being said, let’s access the repressed parts of our memories and talk about the Good, Bad, and Ugly of Week 1 against the Packers.

Why Kyler Gordon’s Bears teammates nicknamed him ‘Spider-Man’

Bears CB Kyler Gordon has earned a fitting new nickname from his teammates.

The arrow is pointed up for Bears cornerback Kyler Gordon, who is entering his second season and looking to build off an impressive conclusion to his rookie year.

Gordon has been impressing this offseason, which has earned him a fitting new nickname from his teammates.

“The guys have nicknamed him ‘Spider-Man’ because he is so quick, he is so agile, he is instinctive,” said defensive coordinator Alan Williams. “He’s got Spidey senses. When he makes a play and you go, ‘wow, how did he make that,’ ding-ding-ding the Spidey senses are going off. All those things—the quickness, the instincts—they’ve been showing up in a big way.”

Gordon has been feeling more comfortable and has a better understanding of this defense in Year 2. It also helps that Gordon will play exclusively in the slot rather than balancing two positions like he did his rookie season.

“I do believe that just with everything, less is more,” Williams said. “When you reduce the amount of things that he has to do in terms of technique assignments, they can’t help but get better. I don’t know if you remember last year, but he didn’t get into that [nickel] spot until this time last year. We didn’t rep him there in OTAs. So he’s got all those reps banked from the season underneath his belt on top of a little bit less on his plate in terms of being outside. So I would say, yes, it has helped him on top of one more year in the system.”

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Bears DC Alan Williams impressed with Justin Fields’ growth

Alan Williams might not be a QB guru, but just two weeks into OTAs, he’s noticed growth from Justin Fields.

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All eyes are on Bears quarterback Justin Fields heading into a pivotal third season, where many expect him to take a significant leap in his development.

After emerging as the NFL’s most dangerous running quarterback — to the tune of 1,143 rushing yards — Fields needs to improve as a passer heading into the 2023 season. Luckily, Chicago has improved his supporting cast — including adding wideout DJ Moore — and offensive line.

Bears defensive coordinator Alan Williams has watched Fields for two years now, and he’s noticed improvement from the third-year quarterback. Williams has been impressed with Fields’ growth from last year to now, both from a technical and leadership standpoint.

“A couple things,” Williams said Wednesday. “Leadership. Because that’s what you want in your quarterback. I see good decision-making. That’s what you want in your quarterback. I see improved accuracy. That’s what you want in your quarterback. And how fast he’s processing. That’s also the, in my mind, what you want in your quarterback.

“So from Day 1 last year to right now? From my standpoint, and I’m not a quarterback guru whatsoever, but I see how he has grown from last year to this year, and practice by practice by practice, he’s growing. So you have to be encouraged when you see those things.”

Fields emerged as one of the NFL’s most electric players last season with his elite running ability. If he can unlock his passing ability, he’s going to be even more difficult to contain.

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