Go back just a couple of weeks and you'll find talking head after talking head pretending they were panicked over Chicago Bears rookie quarterback Caleb Williams. It was almost as if Williams was expected to be the NFL's Michael Jordan from his very first start.
Somehow, many forgot Williams was a rookie and, rookies do indeed take time to develop. But, to all of those critics who were so quick to jump all over Williams' early struggles this season, the first-year pro came back to answer.
His continued improvement was yet again showcased on Sunday in the Bears' victory over the Carolina Panthers. It was by far his best game to date. Williams completed 20-of-29 passes for 304 yards, two touchdowns, no interceptions and he was only sacked once.
Williams' comfort level within this Bears offense was noticeably higher. Offensive coordinator Shane Waldron has continued to adapt and help his quarterback thrive by giving him a more level-headed attack while allowing the rookie to operate in rhythm.
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The second touchdown pass Williams threw to D.J. Moore said it all. The pocket presence, his shoulders synced up with his eyes and moving the defense one way while then firing it the opposite direction ... it was the stuff of a true veteran, and now, Williams is officially cooking. He's well on his way to making franchise history.
Even after a couple of down games, and even a game where it only took 157 passing yards to beat the Rams, Williams is now close to pacing for the Bears' all-time single-season passing record, currently held by Erik Kramer.
Kramer holds the Bears 'single-season passing record with 3,838 yards set back in 1995. At the moment, Williams is only 38 passing yards behind that pace -- that's it. Should Williams throw for 264 yards against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 6, he'd be on track to break Kramer's record. That seems pretty doable for a quarterback who has already thrown for 300 yards, in a game, twice this year.
Not only is he darn close to being on a record-setting pace, but Williams' two 300-yard passing games are also two away from tying the single-season record of four (h/t Jeff Berckes).
Now, these Bears all-time passing records pale in comparison to other franchises, of course. Chicago still hasn't seen a quarterback throw for over 4,000 yards in a season, nor has any one of them thrown 30 passing touchdowns. But, for Williams to already be trending in the direction he is, as a rookie?
That speaks volumes, and it speaks to exactly why he was drafted no. 1 overall. For anyone who panicked, criticized or worried over a couple of his first games in the league, to quote a longstanding Bears archnemesis ... R-E-L-A-X.
