There has been no shortage of people who have loved dunking on Caleb Williams since the end of last year. His media perception, fair or otherwise, turned him into a poster boy for entitlement and everything wrong with the young generation of quarterbacks. So when he struggled as a rookie, most took victory laps. He was a bust. Everybody would soon accept it. Two weeks into the 2025 season, those people have tried to keep the narrative going, but it feels like it's running out of steam.
That is because, while not perfect, Williams has played better than expected. He's thrown for 417 yards, three touchdowns, and only one interception. He also has 85 yards rushing with another score. The 61.5% completion percentage still needs improving, but it feels like he's more comfortable than he was last season. One person who was plenty critical of him last year seems surprised by the progress. Ted Nguyen of The Athletic is one of the more respected film analysts out there.
He came away impressed after watching Williams' footage from Detroit.
There usually isn’t a silver lining after losing 52-21, but after watching the tape, Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams was fine on Sunday … good even.
Williams made several high-level throws with timing against the Detroit Lions. He played within the structure of the offense and rarely deviated. He did throw a terrible interception on second-and-32 that sticks out, but for the most part, he played a clean game and repeatedly flashed his high-end ability from inside and outside of the pocket.
It can be tough to see through the negative vibes that come with a 31-point loss, but Williams’ development as a quarterback who can operate Ben Johnson’s offense will take time and patience. Week 2 was a clear step in the right direction...
...Williams’ average time to throw against the Lions was on the higher end (2.96), but Johnson was calling plays to attack downfield, so it took some time for routes to develop (10.1 air yards per attempt). Williams stayed in the pocket and got through his progressions. He was sacked four times, but on two of those sacks, he should have been protected. Running back D’Andre Swift was beaten on one play and left tackle Braxton Jones was quickly beaten on another. On the other two sacks, no one was open, and Williams didn’t take an inordinate amount of time in the pocket.
Caleb Williams has operated in tough conditions to this point.
The opener against Minnesota was against one of the NFL's most aggressive and well-coached defenses under Brian Flores. Last week, he went into a loud and raucous Ford Field against another talented defense in Detroit. That is a tough assignment for any quarterback, let alone a young one trying to learn a new offense. The fact that Caleb Williams came out of it with a relatively respectable passer rating (89.1) and no shellshock from constant pressure bodes well for once he finally gets a chance to face some softer opponents.
These next two games on the schedule will offer clarity. Dallas is 30th in the NFL against the pass. Las Vegas is 27th. Williams has a chance to put up some serious numbers going into the bye week. If he can also provide a pair of wins, that could finally shift some of the narrative in his favor.
