The WNBA and the NFL have gotten two brilliant rookies this year, Caitlin Clark and Caleb Williams. Both rookies were the most hyped-up prospects coming up to their respective Drafts. In terms of their impact, they have the potential to turn their franchises around. But between the two, who can have the strongest first season? Analyst Rich Eisen is leaning toward Caleb Williams.
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On his show, Eisen discussed who’s more likely to have a better winning percentage at the end of their respective seasons. For Eisen, his answer was clear. He said,
“I’ll take Caleb Williams because he’s on a better team from what you could see so far.”
Eisen proceeded to back his opinion with an unbiased analysis of the numbers so far. While Williams and the Bears are yet to start their NFL season, Clark has already played five out of her forty games and lost all five.
The guard from Indiana has already played 10% of her games and is on a losing trajectory. Moreover, she doesn’t have a lot of support on her team. In contrast, Caleb Williams right now has the mathematical potential to win all of his 17 games. Another thing to take into consideration is the newly released NFL timetable.
For Williams’ record to match Clark’s current record, the Bears would have to lose their first two games, and as per the timetable, they’ll be playing the Titans and the Texans. With opponents like these, Williams has a fair shot to start his rookie year with a better record.
Another thing to take into consideration for Eisen’s analysis is how Clark herself has been performing. Admittedly, the college prodigy has been having trouble as a pro-athlete.
Caitlin Clark is Struggling After Going Pro
While Eisen’s analysis was based on the difference in teams, Clark’s performance also needs to be taken into account. The guard was touted to be the most threatening rookie to play in her draft class, but her start hasn’t been ideal, even downright terrible;. Clark scored 20 points in her first game. But, she also had a lot of foul trouble and 10 big turnovers.
Per ESPN, her second game was worse. She was held to a single-point scoring stint for the team for the first time since her freshman year. In her third game, she played well despite a twisted ankle. However, her team’s best performance only came while she was on the bench. The Fever seemed to operate better as a unit when she wasn’t present.
While the rookie has shown some flair in terms of her performance, there is a lot of work to be done on team chemistry. As for her winning percentage, the changes she needs to make are likely to take a lot of time. Therefore in terms of her win percentage, Eisen’s analysis might have merit.
However, a definitive prediction can only be made after the NFL season begins and the analysts see a look of Williams slinging passes for the Bears.
