There was certainly something strange about the Chicago Bears’ 25-24 win over the Washington Commanders on Monday Night Football earlier this week. There was the rainy backdrop, the residual stink from the way things ended at Northwest Stadium last October, the uncharacteristically sloppy play of the Commanders offense, the dramatic manner in which the Bears emerged with a win, and of course, the critical commentary of Troy Aikman.
It’s not uncommon for fans to believe that the guys in the announce booth are favoring the other team. What is uncommon is when at the conclusion of the game, everyone — not just fans of the team, but even unbiased spectators — agrees that there was some sort of announcer bias happening throughout the entire game. But that’s exactly where we’re at following Monday night’s game.
In particular, Caleb Williams seemed to take the brunt of Troy Aikman’s criticism. The way Aikman was calling the game, you would’ve thought that Caleb was having a performance on-par with how Shane Falco played in the Sugar Bowl. Sure, there wasn’t anything spectacular about the way the second-year QB played — I mean, he didn’t turn the ball over, he had a touchdown on the ground and through the air, and he won the game — but Aikman’s commentary was critical to the point that it felt personal.
Well, after the dust had settled — and after he had already fired off an Instagram post that poked fun at the whole ordeal — Caleb Williams finally had the opportunity to address everything on Wednesday afternoon. He not only gave his side of the story and explained that a missed opportunity to meet with Aikman ahead of the game is what may have prompted his critical commentary, but he also shared his mindset on receiving, and brushing off, criticism in general.
“I didn’t get to meet with him. Tried to meet with him. Reached out and tried to meet and that didn’t happen,” Williams explained, per Jayna Bardahl of The Athletic. “I was here (at Halas Hall) late and times didn’t meet up, lifting, or whatever the case may have been. Tried to call him after that day that I was supposed to meet with him and didn’t get through.”
Williams too addressed the Instagram post, which featured a caption saying, ‘It was luck – TA,’ which was a response to Aikman’s claim that D’Andre Swift’s 55-yard touchdown reception was “just luck on Chicago’s part.”
“It’s fun. Fun trolls. I was messing around. D’Andre made a great play. Obviously, he (Aikman) had some stuff to say about us or me. We came out victorious in the end. Made a little fun moment out of it and that was about it,” Williams said.
Ben Johnson Addresses Troy Aikman’s Criticism of Caleb Williams
Caleb Williams wasn’t the only one who had something to say about the way Troy Aikman was calling the game on Monday night. Bears head coach Ben Johnson had the opportunity to speak on the controversy on two different occasions, and he took the opportunity both times.
“It sounded like from that game the other night, a few people weren’t particularly pleased with how we are winning right now,” Johnson told Jeff Joniak on an appearance on ESPN Chicago on Tuesday morning. “I woke up this morning, and my kids were watching the second half before school, so I heard some of the commentary. But listen, in this league, any way you can find a way to win is a big deal.”
Later in the day, when Johnson spoke with members of the media, he was asked about whether he was surprised by Aikman’s tone during the broadcast.
“Um, maybe I had it on mute,” he said with a smirk. “Listen, you want respect in this league, you have to earn it. That’s where we’re at right now, we have to go earn that respect from not only the rest of the teams in the NFL but everybody.”
Fortunately for Caleb Williams, the Bears, and Bears fans all across the country, Chicago doesn’t have another Monday Night Football game this year, so this will be the last any of us have to hear Troy Aikman talking about #18.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Caleb Williams Claps Back at Troy Aikman Following ‘Lucky’ Monday Night Football Win appeared first on Heavy Sports.