Bears get a massive Caleb Williams boost at exactly the right time originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
It certainly didn't come too soon and really happened just in the nick of time, but the Chicago Bears got quarterback Caleb Williams back right when they needed him most.
The Bears fell hard to the Green Bay Packers in Week 5 of the NFL season on Oct. 11, and it was a gut punch to a franchise that finally has hope after years of being at the bottom. Now, in Week 6, the Bears got Williams back on the field, and he helped lead this team to a 31-23 victory over the Atlanta Falcons. It's just the boost this franchise needed going into its next handful of games.
Caleb Williams returns with an 'ultra-efficient' performance for the Bears
Coming out of the NFL's Week 6 games, Dan Parr of the NFL's official website noted that not only is Williams back, but he's "ultra-efficient."
"What a difference a week makes," he adds. "Last Sunday, Ben Johnson's team was blown out in Green Bay. On Sunday, it was the Bears who dominated for most of the game. They outgained the Falcons, 154-3 in the first quarter, marching out to a 14-0 lead with their QB1, Caleb Williams, setting the tone."
The Falcons were able to make a comeback in the fourth quarter, but it wasn't quite enough to put them in the win column. Meanwhile, Williams was 30 of 36 for 305 yards and had a touchdown in his first game back since his hamstring injury in Week 2. He also had an 83% completion rate, which, according to Parr, is the "highest in a game by a Bears QB to attempt at least 30 passes in franchise history."
"While Williams only had four rushing attempts for 3 yards, his ability to extend plays with his legs was on full display," getting rid of "any concerns about seeing a significantly reduced version of the face of the franchise post-injury," he added.
It wasn't a perfect game, and the Bears had 12 penalties, which is a lot. But it was a promising showing for a franchise that has its on-field leader back.