People wanted to proclaim Caleb Williams a lost cause after three games, which is typical of fans and media these days. Instant assessment. Zero patience. If you don’t start fast, you’ll never be great. Well, Williams didn’t seem to get that memo. After a highly efficient outing against the Los Angeles Rams last week with 157 yards and a touchdown, he followed it with, by far, the best performance of his young career. He finished with 304 yards passing, two touchdowns, no interceptions, and a 126.2 passer rating. He also had 34 yards rushing, just for good measure.
DJ Moore on Ironing Out Pass Connection with Caleb Williams
It turns out there was a deeper story behind this showing. While the sun shined and the temperatures were beautiful, Soldier Field dealt with some somewhat inconsistent wind conditions. It has been something Williams has tried getting used to since the season began. Against Carolina, he developed a novel solution to the problem. Before each drive, he would take his water bottle and spray it in the air. Whichever way the mist blew told him the direction of the wind, and he’d adjust accordingly.
Caleb Williams continues to show his mental maturity.
Plenty of young quarterbacks would’ve been too absorbed in trying to remember the game plan, playbook, and a thousand other things. Thinking of a solution to deal with the wind in the middle of a game is something veterans do. It is remarkable how calm he can stay amidst adrenaline-fueled conditions. His method certainly didn’t hurt. Most of his passes were on the money all day, particularly the ones down the field. Posting over 300 yards on only 29 throws is pretty impressive.
Bears fans should be excited. Caleb Williams is proving the decision to take him #1 overall was not another miscalculation. He deserved the hype he got. What makes his ascent lately so much better is he’s doing most of it without resorting to his scrambling and out-of-structure plays. He has made a concerted effort to win from the pocket, and he’s doing that. It was the biggest question mark with Williams coming out of college. That he’s already mastering it after five games is a great sign for the future.
