Afrigather A career-best efficiency from Caleb Williams in London has the Chicago Bears sitting at 4-2 and on cloud 9.
The rookie quarterback was merely stellar in Sunday’s seamless 35-16 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars, throwing a career-high 4 touchdowns in a efficiency that ought to breathe confidence right into a franchise that has been desperately looking for a star below middle.
Williams displayed the kind of poise and management not all No. 1 total picks are capable of produce of their sixth-career sport, particularly after overcoming a sluggish begin on Sunday.
“You simply received to maintain going,” Williams informed NFL Community’s Stacey Dales after the win. “There’s going to be instances all through the sport the place there’s performs that you do not like, performs that you just tousled on like at the moment. However to maintain going, have the optimistic mindset, keep a continuing communicator all through the entire workforce — offensive coordinator, all people. And have, like I stated, that optimistic mindset goes a good distance for our guys.”
Williams’ sluggish begin featured two three-and-outs to start the sport and an interception on a misguided go supposed for receiver DJ Moore within the second quarter, however the 22-year-old noticed few errors following his solely turnover of the sport.
Williams was notably efficient on fast passes towards the Jags, finishing 13 of 14 passes for 111 yards and three TDs whereas choosing up 9 first downs. He completed 23-of-29 passing for 226 yards with the 4 TDs, proudly owning a dropback success fee of 58.8% and +12.5% completion proportion over anticipated, in line with Subsequent Gen Stats.
However what made Williams’ efficiency much more eye-opening was his playmaking below duress. The Bears QB was a headache for Jaguars go rushers, slipping by strain and scrambling out of the pocket to both make play-saving throws on the run or extending drives along with his legs with 56 whole speeding yards.
He grew to become the fourth rookie QB ever with four-plus TD passes and 50-plus speeding yards in a sport, in line with NFL Analysis. He is additionally the primary QB chosen No. 1 total within the frequent draft period to win 4 of his first six profession begins.
Private accomplishments apart, Williams was nonetheless taking a look at methods to enhance whereas within the afterglow of his greatest NFL exhibiting.
“It felt nice,” Williams stated. “I feel, clearly, we received to maintain getting higher — I can not flip the ball over like that on a wide-open landing to DJ. A number of issues that had been occurring all through the sport that I received to be higher at, however I feel the progress that we have had goes to continue to grow. I feel now we have nice leaders and a terrific persona to this workforce that I’ve talked about many instances. I feel all that’s going to continue to grow, and I feel we have to maintain going.”
The Bears loved a dominant win abroad because of Williams’ environment friendly day. Chicago’s offense produced 4 consecutive TD drives halfway by the sport, permitting the Bears protection to pin its ears again and make performs whereas the Jaguars had been determined to remain afloat. It even supplied Williams an opportunity to observe the top from the sideline as backup Tyson Bagent went in to take the destructive yards because the Bears kneeled out the clock.
It was a hopeful glimpse into the Bears’ shiny future with Williams on the helm. Chicago will relish the victory coming into its bye in Week 7, which precedes a showdown with a Commanders workforce led by Jayden Daniels, the No. 2 total decide who seemingly has a brand new rival on this 12 months’s Offensive Rookie of the 12 months race.
