While D’Andre Swift, Jaquan Brisker and Tory Taylor stole headlines following the Bears’ 24-18 victory over the L.A. Rams, Caleb Williams was vital to a positive result at Solider Field.

His numbers weren’t eye-popping, but the USC product did the little things well and found moments to make a big play. That’s what the Bears need, especially with their defense playing as well as it has this season.

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Progress was made in Week 4. There’s no arguing that.

Let’s break it all down in our weekly series using stats, notes and quotes to evaluate Williams’ performance and where he needs to go from here:

Week 4 stats

Box score

17-for-23 passing (73.9 comp%), 157 yds, 6.8 ypa, 1 TD, 0 INT, 106.6 passer rating; 5 rushes, 12 yards, 3 sacks, 1 fumble

PFF Metrics

Kept clean (57.7%): 12-for-15, 98 yds, 6.5 ypa 0 TD, 0 INT

Under pressure (42.3%): 5-for-8, 59 yds, 7.4 ypa, 1 TD, 0 INT

Not Blitzed (65.4%): 19-for-15, 113 yds, 7.5 ypa, 0 TD, 0 INT

When Blitzed (34.6%): 7-for-8, 44 yds, 5.5 ypa, 1 TD, 0 INT

PFF Passing direction map

NOTE: this can be found on PFF.com, but requires a premium subscription.

Overall evaluation

Williams has had bigger statistical games and made more wow throws, but this was the best game of his (very) young career. He was efficient throwing the ball. He made smart decisions, even when flashier (and more risky) opportunities were available.

He completed 73.9% of his passes, was productive using check-downs and didn’t have a turnover. That’s huge for a team with such an excellent defense. If you don’t put that unit in an awkward spot, the Bears won’t give up many points.

Williams wasn’t perfect – he missed on a sure touchdown to DJ Moore in the first half – but he ran the offense well, kept the chains moving and orchestrated four straight scoring drives to put the Bears ahead for good.

Overall, Williams did everything required to win. That’s all you can ask of a rookie quarterback.

Eberflus and Kmet on Williams’ Week 4 performance

“He was better because I thought he looked down the field for the shots. When we weren’t there, he took the check-downs, and we got a lot of yards on those. I think that was better for him. Again, he’s going to keep improving every single week. But I do think that for him, the operation of the ball, honoring the football and taking care of the football is the number one job of the quarterback, and he did an excellent job of that today. “ – HC Matt Eberflus

“What I’ve been impressed with, all the great stuff that he’s done obviously in college and all the crazy plays I’m sure he made throughout his college career, he’s doing a good job of taking what the defense was giving him the other day and to do that in your fourth game is really, really impressive.” – TE Cole Kmet  

Rookie rankings

Williams is among three rookie quarterbacks making starts for their respective teams at this time. Here are their overall stats through three weeks:

Jayden Daniels (Washington): 87-of-106 passing (82.1 comp%), 897 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT, 8.5 ypa, 107.4 passer rating; 46 rushes, 218 yds, 4 TD; 9 sacks, 3 fumbles

Bo Nix (Denver): 83-of-138 passing (60.1 comp%), 660 yds, 1 TD, 4 INT, 4.8 ypa, 62.5 passer rating; 23 rushes, 110 yds, 2 TD; 4 sacks, 0 fumbles

Caleb Williams (Bears): 87-for-141 passing (61.7 comp%), 787 yds, 3 TD, 4 INT, 5.6 ypa, 72.0 passer rating; 16 rushes for 79 yds; 16 sacks, 3 fumbles

Looking ahead

We’ve seen the steady progress you’d hope for from a No. 1 overall pick, who is clearly getting more comfortable each week. It’s important that Williams continues to find his voice, as he did asking coordinator Shane Waldron for more in-depth communication and a willingness to go with the flow (a hot hand) within drives.

Continuing to use D’Andre Swift as an outlet receiver is a good plan, but he must get better connecting on deep shots. He’s just 3-for-22 on passes of 20-plus yards for 118 yards and three interceptions. Those are low-percentage attempts, but that completion percentage must improve. There will be games where he’ll have to play a larger role, and he needs to be ready for that when the time comes.

Williams and Kmet on what comes next

“I think just getting more in the flow of football, the rhythm throughout the season, the rhythm of the week. Just getting more comfortable and being more consistent with myself throughout the week, I think, is kind of what I’m feeling. Then us just building, us communicating, like I said before. Building on the things, whether it’s good or bad. I think we’re doing that well.” – QB Caleb Williams

“I think he’s seeing things quicker now. He’s always done a good job of diagnosing the defense, but I think at first it maybe took him a few extra seconds to really see what was happening. I think he’s seeing it a little bit quicker now, recognizing that stuff. He has a good understanding; he knows what he’s doing.” — Kmet

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