As rough as Caleb Williams’ night was against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last week, those struggles don’t take away from the incredible progress the Chicago Bears quarterback has made in his third NFL season.
And as many of us predicted, the jump in his performance has less to do with an increase in the spectacular as it does with his growing mastery of the ordinary.
A recent ESPN analysis of each NFL team’s report card through the first half of the season highlighted just how much Williams has grown
for the Bears in a particularly key stat.
“Williams leads the NFL in completion percentage (82.8%) when not pressured. He is ahead of the pace for the highest single-season completion percentage in that situation by a season-qualifying quarterback since ESPN first tracked pressures in 2009,” the article lays out.
Naturally, you’d expect Williams and most quarterbacks to play better when they’re not pressured. But comparing Williams to himself over the last few years is pretty mindblowing.
His passing grade (84.6), adjusted completion percentage (83.7), and passer rating (106.4) when kept clean are all the highest of his career, according to Pro Football Focus. The adjusted completion percentage, in particular, is wildly better than his first two seasons, highlighting his increased ability to hit the easy stuff.
It’s also a credit to his coaching and the protection in front of him.
Johnson has been in his bag this season, routinely alternating between opening up the middle of the field, creating quick, simple third-down throws, and using the screen game as an extension of the run game to get the ball into playmakers’ hands. Last week’s four-INT game notwithstanding, Williams has done a masterful job of keeping the ball out of harm’s way and taking what the defense gives him.
His offensive line has generally held up its end, too, despite facing a revolving door at left tackle due to injuries. Through six games, the Bears offensive line (according to PFF) has been responsible for relatively few pressures compared to other quarterbacks, and Williams (albeit in a smaller sample size) has only been taken down 14 times this year—tied for 21st in the league. It’s not easy protecting for an average of 3.33 seconds each play—the average amount of time Williams takes before throwing. But they’re collectively making it work.
Given how hard the Bucs made things for Williams, the rest of the Bears’ opponents will not doubt try to duplicate Tampa Bay’s game plan and force Williams into tough situations. But as long as he continues to make the right plays, especially when he’s kept clean, he and the Bears will be just fine.
