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'Juiced Up' Caleb Williams Vaults to Top of NFL in Accuracy With Win

The Iceman has now become Mr. Dependable as his completion percentage hit a league-high 72.5% after he completed 30 of 36 to beat Atlanta.
Gene Chamberlain|
Caleb Williams rolls and throws against the Falcons in the third quarter of Sunday's win.
Caleb Williams rolls and throws against the Falcons in the third quarter of Sunday's win. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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Chicago Bears

Caleb Williams had enough of this sitting around stuff.

He had become entirely confident he could do exactly what he did on Sunday in a 31-23 victory over the Atlanta Falcons and went to see coach Ben Johnson during the week as the entire quarterback drama still hung in the air.

"I walked in his office, dapped him up and said 'Let's get this thing going this week.' And I walked out after that," Williams told reporters after Sunday's win.

No one could doubt he was. Hitting on his first 10 passes for 122 yards and a TD, he led two touchdown drives on the first two possessions, then finished 30 of 36 for 305 yards. His 83.3% completion rate is a Bears record for any quarterback with at least 30 pass attempts in a game.

On the year, Williams is now 66 of 91 passing for 712 yards with three TDs and an interception. His completion rate on the season is 72.5%, this from the same QB who was ridiculed last year for a 58.1% rate. The 72.5% was No. 1 in the NFL for active starters, going into the Sunday night game. Jaxson Dart completed 76.5% but is done for the regular season due to injury.

If that wasn't accurate enough, NFL Next Gen Stats tracked Williams at 24 of 24 for 248 yards from a clean pocket, which is, well, perfect.

“I think I've been able to control myself," Williams said. "Obviously, I was super juiced up trying to get back out here over the weeks. Super juiced up to be back out here and I think it's just completion, completion, completion. That’s the focus. That's the mindset.

"I'll be able to keep everybody cool, calm and collected, even myself. Then, other than that, give the guys a shot. Give them a good ball, and then let them go make plays.”

Williams' talk with Ben Johnson

If this is how Williams looks super juiced, then the Bears need to bottle it because his fast start and a maniacal defense made for what was an easy game for over three quarters.

The first touchdown pass to Colston Loveland served as Williams' announcement that he was back. It was vintage Iceman, rolling out right and on the run throwing back a bit left in anticipation of his tight end's eventual catch location. The only problem was there were two defenders near said point and one hit Loveland in or near the head as he caught it. Yet, he held on for the TD.

"I was able to get out and escape, and Colston, I locked eyes and just gave my guy a shot," Williams said. "That's something I've been preaching all week is to my guys, ‘When I get back, I'm gonna give you a shot with this ball in the air. You just got to go make it.’

"And I mean, I think the guys did a good job of that today. I mean, Colston right there, Luther (Burden) at a big point in the game on an outbreaker we had, he went up and got the ball, got hit right after; Rome (Odunze), same thing on a third-and-long, he went up and got the ball, made a great catch. It's that type of energy, mentality, attitude. When the ball is in the air, it's theirs. We got a good group of guys to go up and get it.”

It hadn't been easy for the Bears to be without their starting QB because it meant fewer attacks deep and less overall movement to the passing attack, in addition to the simple problem of missing their leader. It had been harder for Williams because he was going antsy not being able to play and practice.

“He just said to the team, when he got the game ball, just how the last few weeks were hard for him because he'd never been in that position before," coach Ben Johnson told reporters after the game. "And so you'll have to ask him to get further in depth with that, but he came out, he had a great week.

"He came in my office early on in the week and kind of alluded to, man, I want to push this thing and see where we're at. And he did a great job downloading the game plan, and sure enough, he was finding some open guys and delivering good football, so proud of him.”

One passer who knows something about the art of passing accurately is Fox announcer Tom Brady. He called it Williams' best game.

“I didn't know that I went 30-for-36," Williams said, when reporters told him what Brady said. "So, I got to go obviously back and watch the tape. I missed a couple things, especially there's one late in the game. I should have went to Rome. He was pressed over there and went the opposite direction. Things like that. I missed another route that I felt like I should have hit. Trust my guys.

"So, I'll go back. Obviously, it's great to get the win, but when you win, it covers up things. When you lose it, it shows everything. So, we'll go back. We'll be truth-tellers about ourselves and look in the mirror and figure out what we need to fix and get better.”

It's difficult to see how it can get much better than 30-for-36, but when people doubt Williams he tends to prove them wrong.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.

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