Rookie quarterback Caleb Williams etches his name in Bears history

CHICAGO — Six days after missing Keenan Allen’s open streak to the end zone in Minnesota, Chicago Bears rookie quarterback Caleb Williams took advantage of a second chance on the same play.

As halftime approached in the Week 16 game between Chicago and the Detroit Lions, Williams saw Allen throw a head fake and execute the same double move to create separation. This time, Williams didn’t hesitate. He lasered a pass that Allen caught in stride for a 45-yard touchdown.

It was one of Williams’ best throws of the season despite the Bears suffering their ninth straight loss. This has been the story of Williams’ season in general: individual growth against a backdrop of team dysfunction and failure. Consider that despite the second-longest losing streak in franchise history, Williams set an NFL record for most passes (326) without an interception by a rookie QB, and if he continues this pace, he will find himself third. the most passing yards in Bears history.

“Keep swinging,” coach Thomas Brown said of Williams’ approach. “Shooters are shooting, and he’s definitely shooting, which I like. So I’m going to give him opportunities to shoot.”

Against the Lions, Williams recorded his fourth game with at least 300 passing yards and two passing touchdowns. That ties the mark set by Mitchell Trubisky in 2018 for the most such games in a single season by a Bears QB over the past 20 years.

Williams accomplished that after putting two first-half fumbles behind him to lead by three on a day when the Bears’ offense looked the best it had in weeks. Their 14 first-half points were the most since a Week 6 win over Jacksonville.

In recent weeks, Williams has amassed the majority of his passing production playing from behind. Although Williams was quick to admit he doesn’t put much stock in his stats, the type of growth the rookie is showing during a losing season isn’t lost on his teammates.

“You have moral victories, moral victories,” Allen said. “It’s good to score.

“Obviously just being productive on offense, getting better, Caleb being able to get more reps, seeing different things on defense and ultimately being able to get better throughout the season (is important).”

In 15 games, Williams totaled 3,271 yards, the sixth-most single-season total in franchise history. If he continues his season average of 218.1 passing yards in Chicago’s next two games against Seattle (8:15 p.m. ET Thursday, Prime Video) and Green Bay (January 5), he will finish with approximately 3,707 yards .

Williams may not erase the Bears’ notoriety as the only NFL franchise to never have a 4,000-yard passer or a QB who passed for 30 touchdowns, but considering he changed offensive coordinators and head coach mid-season while being fired a league-high 60 times. , his transition to the NFL featured some unique obstacles.

“There’s no doubt this guy is talented,” Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson said last week. “I remember standing on the sideline the last game (against the Bears on Nov. 28) and you can hear the ball whizzing past you.

“He has a pretty fast ball, has some creativity, can extend plays and is also accurate in the field.”

Johnson, who is one of the hottest names this coaching cycle, is expected to be pursued by the Bears. And Williams’ presence is perhaps the most attractive aspect of the position.

In fact, Williams played some of his best football in front of Johnson. In two games against Detroit, Williams has 681 passing yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions.

According to NFL Research, Williams lost nine starts in which he threw no interceptions, the most such losses in a single season since 1950. His 326 passes without turning the ball over represent 100 attempts. more than the previous rookie streak. held by Kyler Murray of the Arizona Cardinals (211). Aaron Rodgers of the New York Jets holds the overall record of 402.

There are specific areas in which Williams has demonstrated the most growth. In Week 16, the rookie had his best game as a downfield passer, going 6 of 8 for 160 yards and a touchdown on throws of 15+ air yards. He regularly put the ball in the hands of his playmakers, throwing a career-high 286 yards to his wide receivers. Allen (694 receiving yards), DJ Moore (826) and Rome Odunze (701) form the only group of wide receivers to be in the top 50 in receiving yards.

And with a heavy dose of playmaking against the Lions, Brown’s play helped the quarterback tie a career high with 12 playmaking pass attempts in which he threw for 109 yards and a touchdown.

This all adds up to a season never before seen by a rookie quarterback in Chicago. And with two weeks to go, Williams is working to tie up the loose ends. When asked what specific areas he focused on improving before heading into the offseason, the quarterback focused on several issues.

“The fumbles I’ve had for 2-3 weeks now, I think the turnovers, they’re obviously part of the game, but trying to eliminate them just increases our chances of winning,” said Williams, who lost four fumbles over the season. “Being able to continue to be efficient, as much as possible, and that doesn’t just mean when I’m throwing the ball. It’s with all the alerts, the time, the game clock, paying attention to the cadence and things like that, helping offensive linemen get knocked out, whatever the case.”