There were various points throughout last Sunday’s game between the Chicago Bears and Dallas Cowboys where it felt as though second-year quarterback Caleb Williams had officially arrived. There were moments that Bears fans have waited a long time for — not just for the 20 games that Williams has been in Chicago, but for multiple decades, as this franchise and its quarterbacks became something of a punchline around the league.
Well, the Bears, their quarterbacks and the offense as a whole may not be a punchline much longer. Against Dallas, Caleb Williams finished with 298 yards, 4 touchdowns and a 142.6 passer rating in a 31-14 win at Soldier Field. There was an ideal mix of explosive plays, tight window throws and taking what the Cowboys defense was giving him. Simply put: it was the best performance of Caleb Williams‘ young NFL career.
Yes, we need to take this performance with not just a grain, but an entire shaker of salt, considering how it looked as if the Dallas Cowboys defense had rejuvenated the career of Russell Wilson in Week 2, when less than two weeks later, New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll made the decision to bench Wilson in favor of rookie Jaxson Dart.
However, there is one stat coming out of the win versus Dallas that, if replicated against any opponent in the league, would give Caleb Williams the opportunity to pick apart any defense… for the first time in his pro career, Williams made it through a game without being sacked. According to Zoltan Buday of Pro Football Focus, the Bears offensive line only allowed six pressures on 29 dropbacks, leading to an 89.7 pass-blocking efficiency rating, one of the best marks of the week.
“When the offensive line protects like that, it’s a lot easier to play from the pocket,” head coach Ben Johnson said earlier this week, according to Courtney Cronin of ESPN. “He’s got the ability to escape and extend and all that, but man, if we can keep him in there, our playmakers are some dynamic route runners that we can get the ball to them in space. I think he saw when he plays on time, he’s trusting the hitches within his drops and we can be an explosive offense that way.”
The Bears were indeed explosive against Dallas. Heading into their Week 3 game, Chicago was second in the league in explosive plays — runs of 10+ yards, or passes of 20+ yards. In their 17 point win, the Bears added seven more such plays, five of which came through the air.
Can Bears Offensive Line Keep Caleb Williams Clean Against Maxx Crosby, Raiders?
The Bears success in keeping Caleb Williams upright against the Dallas Cowboys had something to do with the fact that Jerry Jones made the curious decision to trade All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons before the season began. The Las Vegas Raiders, Chicago’s Week 4 opponent, did not do the same thing with their star edge rusher, Maxx Crosby.
The Raiders locked down Maxx Crosby for an additional three years back in March, making him (at the time) the highest-paid non-quarterback in league history, a well-deserved reward for an unrelenting motor and 59.5 sacks through his first six NFL seasons.
Ben Johnson and the Bears are well-aware that keeping Crosby as far away from Caleb Williams as possible will be key in allowing Caleb to replicate some of the success he had against the Dallas Cowboys.
“In my opinion, he’s a top five player in this league on defense and probably doesn’t get the recognition that he deserves,” Johnson said of Crosby. “He’s all over the place. Relentless, high motor. You have to account for him and know where he is at every single snap or else he’ll get you and he wrecks drives. That’s what he does.”
Caleb Williams’ Career-Best Performance vs. Cowboys Explained By One Stat