Jumping to something

 Watched Caleb Williams take the new-look Chicago Bears on a 92-yard joyride against the Buffalo Bills last night, saw him blow it in for six on a laser to Olamide Zaccheaus, and subsequently heard a lot of media types saying OMIGOD THIS IS THE CALEB WILLIAMS WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR as they tried not to get hurt falling over themselves.

Immediately I thought, "Uh-oh."

This is not because I'm a cranky old fart who enjoys raining on parades. OK, I am, but not in this case.

In this case, it's because, back of all of the above, I could hear the steel-toed tramp of that most dreaded of media afflictions, Jumping To Conclusions. Or at the very least Jumping To Something.

Listen. What everyone saw from Caleb Williams might indeed mean he's going to bloom like a rose in an English garden under the guidance of new head coach Ben Johnson.  Could be he'll actually become a for-real QB1, which Chicago hasn't seen since ...

Well, let's be honest. They've never seen it, at least in my lifetime.

Anyway, everything people were saying about Caleb Williams after last night they're also saying about Jaxson Dart, who's been tearing it up in the preseason for the New York Giants. Or for Shedeur Sanders, who looked nothing like a fifth-round draft pick in his first big stint for the Cleveland Browns, and who likely has the best potential skill set in that overcrowded quarterback room.

However.

However, allow Mr. Cloudburst to point out the obvious.

These are preseason games. That means no one's showing their full hand, scheme or otherwise. It also means everyone's playing mix-and-match lineups that look yea different from the lineups they'll be rolling out in Week 1. 

In 2006, for instance, the year the Indianapolis Colts won the Super Bowl, Peyton Manning 'n' them went 1-3 in the preseason. They were also 1-3 in the preseason in 2009, when they again went to the Super Bowl but lost to New Orleans.

In 2006, their regular-season record was 12-4. In 2009, it was 14-2.

But back to Williams.

He did what he did not against the Bills, really, but against the Sorta Bills. This is because the actual Bills were sitting this one out. It was a major reason Williams and Co. paved 'em 38-0.

What that tells us is twofold.

One, Williams likely will thrive under the new system. Last night he spread the ball around to a bunch of receivers, including tight ends Cole Kmet and Colston Loveland. He looked comfortable and focused and, as Johnson noted, "locked in." two?

And two?

The Bills' backups aren't very good. Or if they are, they were saving it for the regular season.

In other words: Stay tuned, everyone.

As ever.