Caleb Williams came back from injury and played what Tom Brady called the best game of his pro career, completing 30 of 36 passes for 305 yards and a touchdown in the Chicago Bears’ win over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, per ClutchPoints.
The numbers got silly. When Atlanta did not get pressure on him, Williams went a perfect 26-of-26 for 255 yards. Per ESPN Insights, that is the most attempts without an incompletion in no-pressure situations since ESPN started tracking it in 2009. It was also his sixth career 300-yard game, passing Mitchell Trubisky for the most by a Bears quarterback before age 25, and the best completion percentage in franchise history for a QB with at least 35 attempts.
Williams was not ready to celebrate. He said even he was surprised by the 30-for-36 line, that he needs to watch the film, and that winning can hide flaws that losing exposes.
The IAHHM Take
That answer is the whole story. Brady is on the mic calling it a career game, the stat sheet is breaking Bears records, and the young QB is talking about film study and fixing problems. That is a franchise quarterback mindset.
Chicago has been waiting decades for a quarterback who makes the hard stuff look routine. ClutchPoints also notes Williams has joined Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson as the only quarterbacks in NFL history with 50-plus touchdown passes and 15 or fewer interceptions. That is the company he is keeping now.
The Bears are 4-2 with three wins in their last four, and the Falcons fell to 2-4. Next up: the New England Patriots come to Chicago on Thursday night, a national stage for Williams to prove Sunday was not a one-off.
Real question: is Caleb Williams a top-10 QB right now, or does he need a full season like this first?
More football: Kenneth Walker III is leading the NFL in rushing and all IAHHM Sports.
Source: ClutchPoints
