Credit: Daniel Bartel-USA TODAY Sports
Caleb Williams had his best game in the NFL
Yes, the opponent was the Carolina Panthers, but regardless, the Bears put on a dominant performance in their 36-10 win. The defense was its usually stout self, creating three turnovers and recording four sacks, but the big development was on offense.
Caleb Williams had his best game as a pro, throwing for 304 yards and two TDs. While the stats are nice, the eye test was even better. Williams looked in control of the Bears’ offense. The offensive line protected Williams better, allowing only one sack. And that was on the Bears’ opening drive.
Recently there was some question if Williams and Bears’ top receiver, D.J. Moore were on the same page. Based on Sunday’s results, a lot of progress has been made. Moore caught five passes, including TD passes of 34 and 30 yards and a total of 105 yards. The game seems to be slowing down for Williams and that’s about the best news the Bears could get.
While Williams’ physical measurables are impressive, his ability to process what he’s seeing is also impressive and hard to quantify at a scouting combine. But it’s apparent if a QB has that ability, and Williams seems to be a quick processor.
Jayden Daniels presided over another Commanders’ victory
The NFL‘s other high-profile rookie QB, Jayden Daniels, also had a nice week in leading the Commanders to a 34-13 win over the Browns. Daniels’ passing stats weren’t overwhelming. He was 14-25 for 238 yards with one TD and one interception. He also ran for 82 yards on 11 runs.
Those last numbers may be a cause for concern. Daniles has rushed 57 times this season. I expect that the Commanders would like that number to go down as time goes on. Older fans may harken back to RGIII.
While a couple of rookie QBs had a good day, a couple of veteran QBs did not.
Sunday was a forgettable day for Aaron Rodgers and Josh Allen
Both were at the helm in losing efforts. Allen was only 9-30 for 131 yards. While he also ran for 54 yards it wasn’t enough in the Bills’ 23-20 loss to the Texans. That’s just not enough passing offense for a Super Bowl contender.
Aaron Rodgers also had a rough day in London in the Jets’ 23-17 loss to the Vikings. Rodgers threw three interceptions, including a pick-six. Rodgers threw a total of 54 passes which resulted in two TDs and 244 yards. It wasn’t enough to offset the three picks.
Some might explain Rodgers’ bad day as evidence of rust, but it’s five weeks into the season. It could be age. At this point, the 2-3 Jets have to hope that’s not the case.
Vikings’ QB, Sam Darnold also had a bad day, going 14-31 for 171 yards with no TDs and one interception. While Sunday’s game wasn’t the highpoint of Darnold’s comeback season, it was good enough to help the Vikings go to 5-0.
The Viking sitting at 5-0 has to be one of the biggest surprises of this NFL season.
