Matt LaFleur witnesses Williams' rapid development, a playoff challenge he can't ignore after the QB broke a Bears passing record.
Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur has experienced the growth Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams has shown this season firsthand.
LaFleur will get the rare opportunity to face Williams again, but this time it'll be in the playoffs. Chicago and Green Bay are set to meet in the Wild Card round at Soldier Field on Saturday night.
On top of what LaFleur has seen with his own eyes, Williams also broke a Bears' record in his last game.
Williams passed former Bears quarterback Erik Kramer for the most single-season passing yards in franchise history. Williams now has 3,942 passing yards, compared to Kramer's previous record for the 1995 season of 3,838.
The former first-overall pick nearly broke Kramer's record for single-season touchdown passes (29). He needed to throw for three more in the 19-16 loss to the Detroit Lions. Williams finished with 212 passing yards and two touchdowns.
Williams has been a tough player to stop in the two meetings with the Packers. Williams and the offense nearly mounted a comeback in Week 14 and beat the Packers 22-16 in overtime in Week 16 after being down 16-6 late in the fourth quarter.
LaFleur noted how frustrating it can be to face a player like that, who can make throws from inside or outside the pocket with ease.
"We've seen him grow and progress as the season's advanced, and he's made a lot of big-time plays," LaFleur said. "He did it, obviously, in our game, really, both games. Then, you see it in San Francisco, and you know, you gotta be very careful when you're playing a player of his caliber in regards to what he is able to do. There's been situations, you see it all over tape, where there's no way this guy's gonna get out of the pocket. He gets out of the pocket. You hear, 'Well, you wanna keep him in the pocket.' And then he's making throws from in the pocket. So, I just think he's progressed. He's developed, and he's playing at a high level right now."
Even though Williams has been a matchup nightmare at times, the quarterback is still 2-2 versus Green Bay. He has a chance to make it 3-2 if the Bears can send the Packers home in the playoffs.
Snow is expected to fall ahead of kickoff on Saturday night at Soldier Field. The Bears and Packers play each other one final time this season at 7 p.m. CT on Prime Video and Fox 32 for Chicago viewers.