The Chicago Bears managed to lose yet another game in dramatic fashion against the Minnesota Vikings. Trailing by 17 points in the fourth quarter, the Bears rallied to tie the game, thanks in large part to Caleb Williams. It ended with a Vikings field goal to win the game in overtime, but there’s something to take away from the game. Ever since the Bears fired offensive coordinator Shane Waldron and appointed Thomas Brown, Williams has played like Superman on the field.
“He has a certain aura to him that he just allows you to play free,” Williams told reporters. “…When it’s time to be Superman, that is what he tells me in the headset. ‘Go be Superman at the end of the day.'”
Bears OC Thomas Brown Is Turning Caleb Williams Into Superman
Statistics on QB1’s Improved Game
Despite the loss, Caleb Williams played the best game of his young career. He finished the game 32-of-47 for 340 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions. The Bears aren’t doing him justice losing these close games, but Thomas Brown’s impact as offensive coordinator has been a game-changer for Williams.
- Completion percentage: 60.5%
- Passing yards per game: 198.3
- TD-to-INT ratio: 9:5
- Passer rating: 81.0
- Average time to throw: 2.90 seconds
Williams’ performance in the last two weeks under Thomas Brown against divisional opponents:
- Completion percentage: 70.5%
- Passing yards per game: 285.5
- TD-to-INT ratio: 2:0
- Passer rating: 99.9
- Average time to throw: 2.42 seconds
Brown has allowed him to play with freedom and showcase why he was the No. 1 overall pick. There’s so much evidence that Williams is the franchise quarterback it’s hard not to smile. Over the last two games, he has excelled against the blitz, posting an 86.2% adjusted completion rate, 276 passing yards, four big-time throws, and zero turnover-worthy plays. Williams is the real deal, and all it took was one key coaching adjustment to prove it. Which brings into question whether the Bears make Brown the next Bears head coach.
These back-to-back throws by Caleb Williams are a perfect example why the hype was as high as it was for him pic.twitter.com/VeIHPE1UE3
— Football Digest (@FoootballDigest) November 24, 2024
What the Bears Need to Do to Keep Caleb Williams Trending Upwards Going Forward
It’s remarkable how Caleb Williams refuses to let Matt Eberflus hinder his development. Eberflus is a major reason why the Bears are 4-7, and if the Bears organization was smart, they’d fire Eberflus and promote Thomas Brown to interim head coach. Unfortunately, the Bears have incompetent ownership who are too cheap to fire a head coach midseason. Nevertheless, the focus should remain on letting Brown continue to shape Williams into a superstar quarterback. Caleb is regaining his confidence, and teammates like D.J. Moore have taken notice:
“His confidence is through the roof, he’s understanding all the game plans through and through, and to see him go out there and be able to play quarterback like he wants to is amazing to see.”
It’s a two-game sample size for the Williams-Brown pairing, but it’s been against tough competition. Opposing QBs were averaging a 79.4 passer rating against the Vikings defense, yet Williams finished with a 103.1 passer rating. He also played exceptionally well against a tough Green Bay Packers defense.
Williams has been delivering impressive throws at all levels, both inside and outside the pocket, while taking care of the football. The progress he’s made under Brown in such a short time is nothing short of extraordinary. With all the positives, Williams also became the Bears franchise leader for rookie passing yards. The bar is incredibly low for rookie quarterback records in Chicago, but it’s easy to tell Williams is taking the right steps into becoming the Bears franchise quarterback.
If the Bears let him play without unnecessary restrictions, there’s no limit to what he can accomplish.
Caleb gets the Bears in FG position!
📺: #MINvsCHI on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO8ZBqG pic.twitter.com/JGTSXkgESr— NFL (@NFL) November 24, 2024
Main Image: Daniel Bartel – USA Today Sports
