When we watch a quarterback making an amazing play outside of the pocket and outside of structure, we tend to think of the players who can do it over and over as the game's great improvisers. And there's truth to that -- when you watch Patrick Mahomes or Josh Allen or Lamar Jackson do something just silly good after the original play breaks down, there is a fourth-dimensional aspect to their games that sets them apart.
But it's also important to remember that quarterbacks must still have their wits about them when they're vamping to keep a play alive. After all, NFL teams rehearse scramble drills to ensure that everyone is on the same page. And when it comes to quarterbacks making those incredible plays over and over, there is a method to the madness.
We saw that pretty quickly with first overall pick Caleb Williams of the Chicago Bears when Williams made his NFL debut in preseason action against the Buffalo Bills on Saturday. Williams, who made a ton of those types of plays at USC, didn't take long to show his off-script abilities for his professional squad.
Per Sports Info Solutions, Williams completed nine of 14 passes for the Trojans last season in which he was outside the pocket, and the throw was 20 or more air yards. Those nine completions went for 398 yards, 289 air yards, five touchdowns, one interception, and Williams had a passer rating of 117.6.
The NFL transition was seamless. With 5:11 in the first quarter and the ball at the Chicago 41-yard line, Williams broke the pocket and threw this absolute dart to tight end Cole Kmet.
Even Walter Payton's son was impressed.
When you watch that play, check out how well Williams rights his body to the target, even (and especially) when an off-platform throw is a necessity. The best out-of-pocket passers understand the need to whip their core and shoulders to the target so that they're not overextending at the last millisecond. This makes for more mechanical certainty on plays where anarchy tends to reign.
This is something Williams had perfected in college.
Before he was pulled in favor of backup Tyson Bagent, Williams completed four of seven passes for 95 yards, no touchdowns, no interceptions, and a passer rating of 101.8. It's the throw to Kmet that everyone will talk about, and it's important to remember that a lot of hidden structure goes into those moments when great quarterbacks appear to be bending football logic.
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