The Seattle Seahawks dismantled Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs last week, allowing just three points. That felt like a statement that they were still the defending champions with the best defense in football. Most expected them to do the same on Monday night against the Chicago Bears. You can understand why. They were at home, where the crowd noise would be intense. They’d just traded for star guard Quenton Nelson and got two running backs back from injuries. It felt like their night. Instead, the evening belonged to Caleb Williams.
The young quarterback was on point all night long. He orchestrated the Bears’ offense to near perfection, completing 71% of his passes for 247 yards and a touchdown. It was the only time all season that Seattle has allowed 200 or more yards in a game. He probably would’ve had more touchdowns if he hadn’t kept handing the ball to D’Andre Swift, who had 3 on the night. That was another reminder of how unselfish he is as a player.
Yet perhaps what stood out the most from this game was Williams’ leadership. Cameras caught numerous moments of it on the sideline. Williams was barking all night long, firing his guys up. His crowning moment came in the 1st quarter after leading a 17-play drive for a touchdown. He was seen on the sideline saying something clear as day.
“I don’t give a f**k who they are!”
Caleb Williams has found his big boy voice. That matters.
Nobody ever questioned his talent. People knew Williams had an insane array of abilities, from mobility to arm strength and accuracy. What they didn’t know was whether the young man could master the two most crucial arts of quarterbacking: precision and leadership. Playing from the pocket and distributing the football on time and in rhythm was not something he did much of last season. While he did have moments of leadership, he still looked like the young kid trying to find his way in a grown man’s league.
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Not anymore. For the past three weeks, it’s been evident that Caleb Williams is in total control. He hasn’t thrown an interception since Week 2 and is completing more than 70% of his passes. The Bears have scored 31, 30, and 34 points in those games. It is a well-oiled machine, and he is the driver. If that weren’t enough, this success seems to have given him more self-confidence than ever. He’s gone from a young buck trying not to step on toes to the unquestioned leader everyone wants to follow.
More than anything, Williams isn’t afraid.
That matters more than you can possibly know. Too many Bears quarterbacks operated with a humble attitude and didn’t want to risk giving opponents bulletin board material with their words. Williams doesn’t care. The opponents won’t like him regardless of what he does. He might as well let it be known that he will not operate out of fear of anybody. He’s here to win, and he expects the same from this team. The Bears haven’t really had someone like that since Jim McMahon in the 1980s, and he wasn’t nearly as talented.
People haven’t seen a #1 pick truly live up to the hype in a long time, probably not since Andrew Luck. There is no getting around the truth anymore. Williams is that guy. He is meeting the expectations and possibly even exceeding them. This is a brave new world for Bears fans, and they should enjoy the ride. They’ve waited more than long enough to get on board.
