Williams has said he wants the Bears to score points every time they have the ball, and they came close to doing that against the Panthers in Week 1. This week could be tougher. The Bears will host the Vikings, whose defensive coordinator, Brian Flores, can make things very difficult on opposing quarterbacks.
Flores can deploy a heavy load of blitzes — he sent extra rushers nearly 80 percent of the time in last Sunday's win over Green Bay — or he can show pressure only to dial it back at the snap in an effort to confuse quarterbacks.
Williams has had mixed success against the Vikings in the past. He called preparing to face a Flores-led defense a 'big challenge' during his Wednesday press conference. 'It's a game-plan defense. He's gonna game plan from first snap to last snap,' Williams said.
Williams said the challenge is mental as much as physical. He said Coach calls this 'mental war' when you go against versus him. 'That's what it is. You've got to be able to go out there bad things are going to happen, bad things are gonna happen. You've got to be able to fight back and stay steady,' Williams said. He added that not allowing Flores's defense to fluster him or get in his mind is one of the biggest things, and that after staying steady it is time to make plays, get completions and take the big ones when they show up.
Solving whatever Flores throws his way this weekend will be crucial to the Bears' chances of winning the game. It would also show Williams's continued development as a quarterback who can find ways to succeed in every situation that comes his way. That kind of victory would not count in the standings immediately, but it would have a positive impact on that front over the long run.