The number two draft pick is playing circles around the number one pick this season. Caleb Williams continues to deliver hot and cold performances as he moves down in the race for the Rookie of the Year award. Meanwhile, Jayden Daniels continues to deliver assured performances and is now the favorite for the honors, all while moving up in the race for league MVP too.
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Williams impressed with his performances following a rough start to the season, but finds himself in a tough spot again, following a rough couple of games.
In the last two games, he completed only 32 out of 65 passes with a 49% completion rate. He had only 347 passing yards, with most of it coming in garbage time, with passing or rushing TD to his name.
In those two games, he took nine sacks and lost both of them, one of them to Jayden’s Commanders through a Hail Mary.
Caleb Williams has had a ROUGH two-game stretch:
• 32/65 (49%)
• 347 passing yards
• 0 passing TD’s
• 0 rushing TD’s
• 9 sacks
• 0-2 record (Commanders & Cardinals)The Bears rookie QB is essentially OUT of any rookie of the year race.
And he was the FIRST OVERALL PICK… pic.twitter.com/r6o9cw6Mvb
— NFL Rookie Watch (@NFLRookieWatxh) November 4, 2024
Daniels, on the other hand, completed 36 of his 60 pass attempts in the last two games, with a 61.75% completion percentage. He also threw 3 TD passes and rushed for 87 yards. He has a passer rating of 116.2 in five road games this season
The Commanders are now 7-2 for the season, sitting at the top of the NFC East. This is their best start since 1996. The Bears are 4-4 now.
Many thought that the Bears would be ready to challenge for the playoffs spot after getting a star QB and Williams is going into a better situation. Jayden, on the other hand, is going to a franchise that is in the rebuilding mode and will take time for them to get ready to challenge for a playoff spot. However, Washington has proved to be a better situation.
Kliff Kingsbury has created a QB-friendly offense for the rookie while Williams has been forced to throw the ball a lot downfield. His receivers have failed to create separation or get open.
Injury adds to Caleb Williams’s list of problems
Despite trailing by 20 points with no chance of a comeback, the Bears chose to keep Williams in the game during the fourth quarter. The USC alum was already battered and bruised, struggling in the pocket throughout.
Then, in the final seconds, he took his sixth sack of the game, feeling the full impact of a hit from the Cardinals’ Okawar. Williams went down, clutching the back of his leg and ankle in pain.
Charles Davis had some criticism for the Bears after Caleb Williams was hurt in garbage time.
“I’m sorry, this just does not make sense to me. This is your rookie quarterback…I don’t think he should have been out there for the two minutes.”pic.twitter.com/4ijJ6OOL0D
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) November 4, 2024
Williams was slow to get up, limping off the field and raising questions about the decision to keep him in the game. Head coach Matt Eberflus later told the media that his rookie quarterback had “tweaked” his ankle, with Williams confirming the injury himself.
Both assured reporters that Williams is fine, but it remains uncertain whether he will play next week or if the Bears will err on the side of caution and have him sit out.
His late-game injury, however, doesn’t excuse his earlier struggles, as the Bears’ performance woes were evident long before. They’ll face the Patriots next week, hoping to end their losing run.
