The Chicago Bears put up 59 points on the Carolina Panthers. It would be hard to do that and not have a strong performance from the quarterback. Still, Caleb Williams showed a lot of encouraging signs that this could be repeated.
Four Reasons to Buy into Caleb Williams Week 1 Performance With Chicago Bears
More big-time throws, fewer turnover-worthy throws
Williams had a 6.5% big-time throw rate, according to PFF. Meanwhile, his turnover-worthy throw rate was 2.5%. Last year, Williams had a 5.4% big time throw rate, and a 3.1% turnover-worthy throw rate.
Last year he only had five games with a better big-time throw rate. This shows it was not just the scheme; Williams was the reason for a lot of the big plays in the passing game.
Pushing the ball deeper down the field
This is also shown by his increase in average depth of target (ADOT). He had an 8.1 ADOT in his rookie season. That jumped up to 9.2 in his first year with Ben Johnson. However, that jumped a bit again, with 10.7 ADOT in Week 1. His deep passing attempt rate was up 3% from the year prior, and last year he only had four games with a higher depth of target.
His 9.3 yards per attempt would have been the second-best game of his year in 2025.
Better rushing production
Williams has always had rushing ability, but he has never quite unleashed himself as he did in Week 1. Williams had 10 attempts for 65 yards. That was the most rushing yards he had since Ben Johnson was hired. It was the second-highest total of his career.
His seven scrambles were a career-high. The results were the fourth and fifth rushing touchdowns of his NFL career. Williams was already growing into a tough quarterback to defend as a passer. If he can continue to use his legs in this manner, he will be lethal.
Better with pressure
Williams had a 12.9% pressure-to-sack rate in the game. It was not perfect, but his career rate was 18.3%, so he is bringing the average down. Williams was great at passing under pressure. Last year, he averaged 5.6 yards per attempt under pressure. This week, he averaged 12 yards per attempt in those scenarios.
These are areas you would expect Williams to improve as he grows in the offense, so all of them are great signs.
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