Before the season, there were many talks by fans about whether Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams was as advertised or just another average quarterback. After his fellow draft class quarterbacks overshadowed him, Williams was overlooked by what he has been able to do with the Bears.
But now with a new head coach and offense, Williams is emerging into his own. Williams led the Bears to the first four-game win streak since 2018 before their loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
As October comes to an end, the spooky question to ask is whether Williams is the quarterback of the future.
The ghost of the 4,000-yard quarterback
There is one statistic that has been circulating around the Bears organization. No Bears quarterback has thrown for over 4,000 yards in a season.
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It is crazy to believe that for over 106 years, no quarterback has thrown for more than 4,000 yards. The Bears are the only team in the NFL with this problem; every other team has had at least one season with 4,000-plus passing yards.
The way Williams has been playing so far, he can break that curse and finally bring Chicago over that hump. Williams is averaging 233.7 passing yards per game, which is in the top half of quarterbacks in the league.
For Williams to eclipse over 4,000 yards, he would need to end the season by averaging over 235 passing yards per game; so far, he is 2,364 yards away from that goal. In his next 10 games, Williams will have to put on a masterclass and throw for at least 250 yards a game to safely get over 4,000 yards.
The playoff nightmare
It has been five years since the Bears have been to the playoffs. The beginning of this season has been the best chance for Chicago to get back in the race.
After the collapse of last season, things were really beginning to crumble within the organization. However, with the coaching and new attitude in the locker room, it seems like Williams can play football in late January.
The only problem is the lack of confident wins. The path to the playoffs seems far-fetched. The Bears can’t seem to play a game without giving fans a heart attack in the fourth quarter.
Within the last two games, Williams has thrown an interception in a costly position. Luckily, in one of the games, the Bears kept the lead.
However, their last game against the Ravens was not so kind to them. When Williams threw an interception, he also threw the Bears’ chances of winning away with it.
For Williams to be seen as a successful quarterback not only within Chicago but within the NFL, he must win games.
Williams has only won nine games so far in the NFL. That doesn’t look like a winning football team. In one and a half seasons, Williams has yet to reach double-digit wins in his career. That is part of the reason why people are already out on Williams.
Adding a new front office, things can change. As we all know, rebuilding takes time; there are ups and downs. If Williams can turn the losses into wins and get the Bears to “take the North,” then the debate on whether he is a bust could be silenced.
The haunted expectations
When you are the No. 1 overall draft pick, there are high expectations to perform. A reason why there have been so many harsh critiques of Williams is the lack of immediate results.
The scariest thing about the Bears is that they have not had a winning record since 2018. 2019 and 2020 were the closest they got, going 8-8 both years. The hope seems to be dwindling in the Windy City. By drafting Williams, that hope is renewed.
The fear of being in a never-ending cycle of disappointment still looms over the city. With the new coaching staff and new locker room attitude, the air feels different from previous years.
Williams is capable of being the Bears’ future. With the right coaching staff and the right scheme, Williams can be the savior this city has been waiting for. One thing that could make fans more confident in their quarterback is if Williams had a game with 300 passing yards, a high completion percentage and multiple touchdowns.
If Williams consistently puts up games with those stats while stringing together at least nine wins in a season, Williams will quiet the doubt and be the quarterback of the future for the Bears.
@Jon_Mathew23
