As the Chicago Bears prepare to face off against the New England Patriots, there’s a lot of optimism after seeing the return of quarterback Caleb Williams, who proved just how valuable he is.
After missing three games due to a hamstring injury, Williams put on a masterful performance in the win against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 6, throwing 30 of 36 (83.3% completion percentage) for 305 passing yards and one touchdown.
As a result, Williams has earned the NFC’s Offensive Player of the Week award, joining Jay Cutler as the only Bears quarterbacks to win the award twice.
Bears QB Caleb Williams Named NFC’s Offensive Player of the Week
It’s a small sample size, but just how good has Caleb Williams been this season?
- Completion Percentage: 72.5% (1st)
- CPOE: +9.8% (1st)
- Clean Pocket Completion Percentage: 84.7% (1st)
- Completion Percentage No Blitz: 87.5% (1st)
- EPA/Dropback: +0.332 (4th)
- Success Rate: 51.4% (3rd)
- Interception Rate: 1.1% (7th)
- Sack Rate: 9.0% (5th)
- Completion Percentage Under Pressure: 50.0% (7th)
The biggest improvement has been Williams’ completion percentage, which was a huge criticism from NFL fans since he entered the league back in 2024.
He’s improved from 62.5% as a rookie (31st in the NFL) and 58.1% his sophomore year (32nd in the NFL) up to 72.5%, which ranks 1st among all qualified quarterbacks.
“I said that I could do it and we’re going to keep figuring out how to keep getting to that,” Williams said regarding his completion percentage. “I’ve said multiple times, it’s building confidence in my wide receivers and where they’ll be, even if I can’t see them. It’s putting the ball where they will be and just trusting them.”
Williams, Drake Maye Exchange Praise Before TNF Football
Now Caleb Williams’ focus turns to the Patriots, where quarterback Drake Maye has carried his team to 4-2.
Maye, who was selected two picks after Williams, had some high praise for Chicago’s QB1:
“Him in the pocket, I don’t know if I could do some of the things he could do. He’s special in the way he can move and kinda escape and evade pressure. [Him] throwing on the run is pretty cool to watch. I don’t know if I’m that shifty in the pocket. He can do some cool things. He’s got crazy arm talent, and it’s fun to watch. I don’t know if I’m that flexible to try some of those things, but I think the way he plays the game is cool. I know he’s doing a great job, and I know in Chicago he’s got the city on the watch.”
Williams also had some comments regarding Maye’s athletic abilities, saying, “I’ve kind of grown up with Drake throughout the years. We’ve been in the same class for a while, we’ve been to so many camps. Probably one of the guys I’m closer to in my class and overall on another team of anybody.”
It’ll be fun to watch arguably the two best quarterbacks from the 2024 NFL Draft duel against one another on Thursday night.
NFL Announces Caleb Williams News Before Bears vs. Patriots on TNF