Has Caleb Williams lastly damaged the Bears’ 75-year quarterback curse? | Doug Farrar

On the flight from Chicago to London for Sunday’s recreation in opposition to the Jacksonville Jaguars, Bears quarterback Caleb Williams carried the hopes of a whole fanbase – to not point out the burden of a 75-year quarterback curse unparalleled in professional soccer historical past.

Evidently, Williams left any baggage on the aircraft. In a 35-16 domination of the Jaguars, the primary total decide within the 2024 draft accomplished 23 of 29 passes for 226 yards, 4 touchdowns, one interception, a passer score of 124.4, a Completion Price Over Anticipated of +12.5% (solely Lamar Jackson was higher on Sunday at +14.1%), and a Passing EPA of +14.6 (behind solely Jared Goff and Jordan Love).

Not dangerous for a rookie beginning his sixth NFL recreation with a franchise that has systematically destroyed quarterbacks. The final time the Bears had what you might name a reliable franchise quarterback was proper after the second world warfare, when Sid Luckman was ending up his Corridor of Fame profession. Since then, it’s been a historical past of near-misses, might-have-beens, and big whiffs at an important place in soccer – maybe essentially the most consequential place in any sport.

That is the franchise that misplaced a coin flip for the fourth total decide within the 1944 draft with the Detroit Lions, who used that decide on Otto Graham, who by no means performed for the Lions, however succeeded at a Corridor of Fame stage with the Cleveland Browns. There was extra: the third total decide within the 1948 draft, Bobby Layne, was shortly traded to the Bears. However Layne refused to return to the crew after a 12 months taking part in behind Luckman and Johnny Lujack. Layne later grew to become a Corridor of Fame quarterback with the Lions and Pittsburgh Steelers. The Bears additionally chosen George Blanda within the twelfth spherical of the 1949 draft, however proprietor and head coach George Halas insisted that Blanda was extra of a kicker than a quarterback. Blanda responded by defecting to the American Soccer League in 1960 after a one-year retirement, and, sure, put collectively his personal Corridor of Fame profession collectively there.

And in 1979, Bears scout Invoice Tobin had a first-round grade on a sure Notre Dame star, however normal supervisor Jim Finks was proud of mediocre quarterback Bob Avellini. The Notre Dame quarterback? Joe Montana.

For the reason that starting of the AFL-NFL widespread draft in 1967, the Bears have spent first-round picks on seven quarterbacks – Jim McMahon in 1982, Jim Harbaugh in 1987, Cade McNown in 1999, Rex Grossman in 2003, Mitch Trubisky in 2017, Justin Fields in 2021 and Williams in 2024.

None of these first six picks actually panned out moreover McMahon, who was extra of a punky accent to the Chicago groups of the mid-Nineteen Eighties that sported a number of the greatest defenses professional soccer has ever seen.

That is the way you journey time since your inception as one of many NFL’s authentic groups in 1920 and not using a quarterback throwing for 4,000 yards or 30 touchdowns in a single season. Given the developments made to the passing recreation, that’s an astonishing drought. And a curse of the franchise’s personal making.

Via the primary 4 weeks of Williams’ NFL profession, it appeared that the curse would possibly really be a factor. Williams accomplished simply 87 of 141 passes (61.7%) for 786 yards (5.6 yards per try), three touchdowns, 4 interceptions, a passer score of 72.0 (second-worst within the league amongst qualifying quarterbacks), and 16 sacks behind a leaky offensive line.

However over the past two video games, in opposition to the Carolina Panthers and the Jacksonville Jaguars (admittedly, two dangerous defenses), the sunshine has switched on. Over these video games, Williams accomplished 43 of 58 passes (74.1%) for 530 yards (9.1 yards per try), six touchdowns, one interception, and a league-best passer score of 129.2.

When grading a quarterback’s progress, whether or not it comes in opposition to nice defenses or not, you’re in search of the common qualities that comprise nice play on the place. And particularly in opposition to the Jaguars in London, Williams proved to have these common qualities in an intercontinental sense.

Two of Williams’s 4 landing passes in opposition to the Jaguars went to veteran receiver Keenan Allen, and the others went to tight finish Cole Kmet, who additionally served as Chicago’s emergency long-snapper within the recreation. The primary TD go to Kmet got here out of a nifty design. Allen went in orbit movement, and Williams’ double-fake flat route passes set Jacksonville’s protection on edge sufficient for Kmet to be large open down the center of the sphere.

Kmet’s second landing was facilitated by Williams trying the security off in the back of the top zone to an space the quarterback needed the security to go. There are veteran quarterbacks who don’t understand how to do that.

The primary landing go to Allen was a dart into a good window wherein Williams put the ball on Allen’s proper shoulder – the place solely Allen might catch it. Now, Williams was exhibiting veteran command.

Williams’ second landing to Allen, at first of the fourth quarter, could have been the very best throw of the quarterback’s younger profession. He needed to steer the ball over the outstretched palms of two Jacksonville defenders, and the cornerback who was masking Allen tightly, right into a small window earlier than Allen went out of bounds. It was no downside.

Williams additionally ran 4 occasions for 56 yards, however these weren’t random scrambles from an overwhelmed rookie – like every thing else, there was a transparent plan in place.

Postgame, Williams mentioned that he was “pissed off” with himself after his one damaging play – an interception on a go meant for DJ Moore within the first half. Maybe that was the spark he wanted.

“That’s a go that I don’t miss, that you just don’t need to miss, and do one thing like that,” Williams mentioned. “And so yeah, I used to be a bit pissed off after that, and I feel [to] reset myself was essential. However nonetheless having at the back of my thoughts, like you realize, can’t have that occur once more, and let’s exit right here and go rating.”

From then on, that’s just about all Williams did.

The query now, in fact, is whether or not Williams can maintain his run of success. The ramp-up did take a couple of video games. And the Bears’ schedule is about to get loads harder. Chicago’s NFC North, is the primary division because the NFL’s merger with the American Soccer League in 1970 to have each crew with not less than 4 wins by a season’s first six video games. And per FTN analyst Aaron Schatz, the Bears had the second-easiest slate to this point based mostly on opponent-adjusted effectivity, and no crew has a extra imposing go the remainder of the best way.

Williams will undoubtedly expertise extra adversity – as a result of no younger quarterback can keep away from it totally. However based mostly on the present to date, the Bears could lastly, mercifully, have hit on the answer they’ve looked for in useless longer than some other professional soccer franchise.