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There is a topic of discussion, rather a person of interest, that I have tried to avoid talking about up to this point this season.
It feels like I’m the only one, as a lot of my feed on social media each week is dominated by opinions of this particular person, both good and bad. Personally, I think it’s pointless to go back and forth each week, only choosing to look at the latest data as opposed to the complete body of work.
So I decided to take the “wait and see” approach, figuring I’d give this person the rest of the season before I began putting my opinion on said individual out for you all to see. However, recent events have thrown a wrench in these plans, and today, I’m going to use my space in the paper to talk about this aforementioned individual.
I’m talking, of course, about Caleb Williams.
Caleb Williams, quarterback of the Chicago Bears. One of the most discussed positions in all of sports, and most of the time, not for the right reasons. We don’t have to waste time and space ranting and raving about the not-so-storied history of Bears QBs, because this column is about the current one.
Caleb has been through the ringer since the Bears selected him at No. 1 overall in the 2024 NFL draft. He had three different playcallers and two different head coaches in his rookie year, and basically had to unlearn everything they taught when Ben Johnson came to town.
Since Johnson took over, it’s been rocky at times. Yes, the wins have been stacking up recently, but people were hitting the panic button back in September when the team started 0-2. The Bears have only lost once since then, and when they did, Williams was crucified for his performance.
That seems to be the trend. When the Bears lose, it’s his fault. When they win, it’s because he kept mistakes to a minimum and allowed his teammates to pick him up. I’ve seen this unfold in real time each week, yet have tried to keep my mouth shut because I’d like to see how he keeps progressing with a real NFL head coach to show him the ropes.
After seeing what this kid did against the Giants on Sunday? My big mouth can’t stay shut any longer.
I watched every down of that game. I watched Caleb’s receivers drop at least five perfectly thrown passes, two of them for touchdowns. I watched his defense get torched over and over again. I watched some uncharacteristically bad play calling, specifically regarding the split between running backs D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai.
I watched everything go against the Bears for 55 minutes, with every replay showing Caleb growing more and more frustrated as things kept piling up. I was certain the Bears were going to lose, and I’m sure many of you watching were too. I was just as certain that when it happened, that it was probably going to be Caleb taking the brunt of it, no matter how unfair that was.
But then, it happened.
With a little over six minutes to go in the game, he took over. He led a 91-yard drive, using both his legs and his arm to get into the end zone and shrink his team’s deficit from 10 to three. He did a bit of everything here, breaking free of a collapsing pocket like a magician to scramble for first downs. He was throwing the ball 20+ yards downfield right into his receivers hands. He had given his team a chance.
To the credit of the defense, they were able to come up with a stop when it mattered most. They did have the added advantage of the corpse of Russell Wilson now playing QB for the Giants, but beggars can’t be choosers. The D did its job and got Caleb the ball back. Now, it was all up to him.
And boy, did he deliver.
He needed just four plays to find the end zone yet again, one of which was a 27-yard pass to my guy Luther Burden. Then, the dagger was everything you could ask for. He escaped the pocket, made his way to the sideline and scampered the remaining 17 yards to glory. He had just willed this team to a win, and that’s all you can ask your quarterback to do.
Caleb Williams has had games with better numbers. He’s thrown for more touchdowns and ran for more yards. But I’ll remember this one as the one where I fully bought in on him. He has it. The will to win, the ability to deliver when it matters most. The maturity to stick with it when it’s not going well and then play your best when the pressure is at its highest.
Obviously, it’s not just intangibles that win games on the field. He has continued to get better each week. He’s already made humongous strides from last year, especially when it comes to taking sacks. The accuracy is not where I’d like it to be just yet, but that’s improving too.
This kid is a gamer, and I couldn’t be happier that he’s the quarterback of my football team. I’m done listening to so-called fans of this team bashing this kid at every turn.. It still feels strange, but the Chicago Bears are in good hands right now. Let’s just sit back and see where it goes.
That’s my official stance on the matter.
Gave out three more winners last week to add to the total. We’re seeing the board well over here, let’s try to keep it going. The Colts are on the bye this week, so we’re only doing four picks. Let’s do it.
FAVORITE FAVORITE
Dallas Cowboys (-3.5) at Las Vegas Raiders
For whatever reason, when I did my initial scan of this week’s lines, this was the game that stood out to me for this category. I have no choice but to go with my gut. Yes, the Cowboys have suffered some really bad losses in recent weeks, but they are coming off a bye and the Raiders are god awful. It has seemed that each time Dallas experiences a low this season, they are able to pull things together and bounce back. I’m counting on that here.
The Pick: Cowboys -3.5
BIG DAWG GOTTA EAT
Cincinnati Bengals at Pittsburgh Steelers (-5.5)
This was another one of those picks where I had a few options to work with, but for whatever reason, this is the one that stuck out to me. Both of these defenses are abysmal, which could result in a high-scoring affair. Cincy won the first meeting between the two teams back in October, and while I’m not certain they take this one too, I do believe that it ends up being a one-score game.
The Pick: Bengals +5.5
BEAR DOWN
Chicago Bears at Minnesota Vikings (-3)
I mean, I can’t spend over 800 words praising Caleb Williams in every way I can and then pick against him this week. The Vikings took it to the Bears in the first quarter of their Week 1 matchup, in what was Ben Johnson’s first ever game as a head coach. The Chicago defense still worries me greatly, but I think that an improved Bears team is just better than Minnesota is right now. The Bears get revenge for their early season loss and pick up their first divisional win of the year.
The Pick: Bears +3
GAME OF THE WEEK
Seattle Seahawks at Los Angeles Rams (-3)
I thought about the Lions-Eagles game here, but I’ve talked about both of those teams a ton already this season. This Seahawks-Rams matchup promises to be a good one, especially with the winner taking sole possession of first place in the NFC West. I would not be surprised if either of these teams ended up as the NFC’s representative in the Super Bowl. Both sides are playing extremely well heading into this one, but I like Los Angeles at home. The best case scenario? The Rams covering on a Harrison Mevis field goal.
The Pick: Rams -3
Let’s hope I can keep things rolling. As we get deeper and deeper into the season, I find making these picks to be a bit harder. With more and more available data coming in each week, it’s really easy to overthink and overanalyze, two of my specialties. But, we do what we can. Have a good one, y’all.
Cheers.
Last Week’s Record: 3-2
Season Record: 29-21
