Takeaways are the easiest part of the acronym to measure, and Williams is pleased with what the group has done in that regard. He said the unit is “fanatical” about it. The rate at which players are producing takeaways during practice gives Williams confidence they will translate to game situations.
“We just don’t put it up on the wall and say, ‘Hey, we’re gonna get turnovers,'” Williams said. We work on it in practice. We work on it in individual. We work on it in group work. We work on it in our team situations. Guys have gotten turnovers in practice. Usually, the way we practice is we go hard, we practice intensely so that what usually happens in practice usually unfolds in the ball game, so our guys have taken the ball away in practice, so you expect that however you practice, that’s how you’ll play. I just feel good about us taking the football away.”
The Bears recorded a takeaway on defense or special teams in all three of their preseason games, giving Williams a glimpse at what the regular season could look like.
Williams believes the players have bought into the emphasis because of how the coaches teach it. Instead of just telling the team what to do, the coaches explain why it is necessary for success.
“In today’s culture, I think it’s important to tell the guys why, not just, ‘Hey, do this. Do this. Do this,'” Williams said. “But we tell them why and why it’s gonna help them, why it’s gonna benefit them and why it’s gonna benefit the team, and ultimately it benefits us because when you take the football away, the percentages of winning football games go up. And when you win football games, it’s good for everybody.”
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