The Chicago Bears had sky-high expectations for quarterback Caleb Williams during his rookie season in 2024.
Though his underlying numbers were solid — 3,541 yards passing, 20 touchdowns, 6 interceptions — Chicago finished 5-12 and missed out on the playoffs after an offseason that most analysts claimed they won.
But after the Bears hiring former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson as Matt Eberflus’ successor as head coach, Williams has been better equipped in Year 2 to take the next step in his development.
Known as one of the top offensive minds in the NFL, Johnson has made a world of difference in Williams’s game, as evidenced by his history-making moment in Sunday’s 31-3 win over the Cleveland Browns.
Williams Makes NFL History
GettyChicago Bears QB Caleb WIlliams and WR DJ Moore
Chicago reached the 10-win mark on Sunday for the first time since 2018 and just the fourth time since 2010, and Williams’ play is a big reason why.
The 24-year-old signal-caller completed 17 of 28 passes for 242 yards, two touchdowns, and zero interceptions along with a 112.5 passer rating, and he wrote his name in the NFL record books in the process.
Williams set a new NFL record for the fewest interceptions thrown in a player’s first 1,000 pass attempts (12). He was picked off six times last season and six times this year (he had INTs in back-to-back games entering Week 15).
Sunday’s game also marked the 28th straight contest Williams has gone without throwing multiple interceptions — the longest such streak in the NFL right now.
Williams’ accuracy was one of his strong suits leaving USC when he was drafted No. 1 overall last year. He completed 66.6% of his passes with a 1.0 interception percentage as a sophomore with the Trojans, and a 68.6 completion percentage and 1.3 interception percentage in his final year.
The second-year passer had a 1.1% interception rate as a rookie — the third-lowest in NFL history — and he entered Sunday’s game with a 1.4% interception rate — the eighth-lowest in the league, which dropped to 1.3% after the game.
Bears Can Still Clinch NFC’s No. 1 Seed
Aside from a 28-21 setback to the Green Bay Packers in Week 14, the Bears have been one of the hottest teams not just in the NFC but the NFL.
Chicago had won five straight heading into that Packers game, and aside from back-to-back losses to open the season, the team has won 10 of its last 12, with both defeats coming to teams either in the playoffs or on the playoff bubble (Packers and Baltimore Ravens).
Fortunately for the Bears, the Packers ran into a buzz saw in Week 15 against the Denver Broncos, who’ve won 10 straight and entered the weekend tied with the New England Patriots for the best record in the NFL (11-2).
If the Packers lose, they’ll fall to 9-4-1 and hand Chicago back sole possession of the NFC North lead. The Bears would also jump from the No. 6 seed to No. 2, just one game behind the Seattle Seahawks (11-3) for the top spot in the NFC.
Though it’ll be difficult, Chicago still has a path to the NFC’s No. 1 seed. The team’s three remaining regular-season games are against the Packers, San Francisco 49ers (10-4), and Detroit Lions (8-5).
Bears’ Caleb Williams Did Something No QB Ever Has in Win Over Browns