Some quarterbacks shrink when the whole league is watching. Caleb Williams has spent the last three weeks doing the opposite. Since he came back from the hamstring injury that cost him three games, the Bears' schedule has turned into a primetime tour. Thursday night against New England, a big Monday night game against the defending Super Bowl Champion Seattle Seahawks, and now a Sunday night against the the Buccaneers at Soldier Field.
The numbers suggest that the stage suits Williams. In his three starts since returning from a hamstring injury that kept him on the sidelines for three games, Williams completed 73.8 percent of his passes for 860 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions. In those three games, the Bears have scored 31, 30, and 34 points.
Seattle was the loudest proof
On Monday night against the Seahawks, Williams became the first quarterback to throw for over 200 yards on Seattle all season long, finishing that game with 247 yards and a touchdown.
Head coach Ben Johnson hasn't eased him in, either. Williams has now gone 36 consecutive games attempting at least 20 passes without throwing multiple interceptions, breaking a tie with Aaron Rodgers for the longest streak in NFL history.
That's not a quarterback that's protected by the scheme. That's a quarterback being trusted to wield the whole offense, on the biggest stages that the game has to offer.
What stands out most is the discipline. Williams has thrown one interception all season, and his ball security is the engine under everything this offense does. The long drives, the league's best time of possession per drive, and a rushing attack that stays on schedule because the quarterback isn't giving it back.
Meanwhile, Tampa Bay's defense has been fifth best this season, allowing an average of only 18.9 points per game.
Tampa Bay's best hope is that the stage finally rattles him, and nothing in the last three weeks supports it. Williams has treated every standalone window since his return like a showcase, and Sunday night is the biggest one yet: a home crowd, a desperate opponent, and a division lead waiting on the other side of it. Expect him to play like it.
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