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Bears quarterback Caleb Williams played the best game of his young career in the 36:10 win against the Panthers

Bears quarterback Caleb Williams played the best game of his young career in the 36:10 win against the Panthers

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams spent his first month in the NFL alternating between brief appearances that made him a Heisman Trophy winner, a No. 1 overall pick, and a rookie dealing with the relentless The NFL's learning curve had to be dealt with.

Five weeks into his career, Williams played his best and most complete game in Sunday's 36-10 win over Carolina.

Some restrictions apply. The Panthers are a poor 1-4 and their defense remains one of the worst against the pass in the NFL. And yet, even in September, Chicago rarely looked like a contender, which highlighted the strength of Williams' controlled performance on Sunday, when he completed 20 of his 29 passes for 296 yards, with two touchdowns and no turnovers.

In his first four games, Williams completed 61% of his passes while constantly being sacked and unable to rely on a ground game that averaged 3.5 yards per carry, second-worst in the league. That average barely budged against the Panthers, but when Carolina had to account for D'Andre Swift's early productivity as a runner and receiver out of the backfield, it opened up throws for Williams in game action.

Williams completed just 48% of his passes in his NFL debut, then was sacked seven times and threw two interceptions in his second game. Since then, he has found some level of consistency in three games, with five combined touchdowns against two interceptions and a 67% completion rate.

The interest in Sunday's game lasted a year and a half. The futures of the Panthers and Bears have been intertwined since Carolina traded with Chicago in March 2023 to move up in the draft and select Bryce Young first overall. The trade netted Chicago, among other things, a 2024 first-round pick that eventually became No. 1 and was used to draft Williams. (Also in trade? Receiver DJ Moore, who caught five passes for 105 yards, including both touchdowns Williams threw.)

But with Young benched in favor of Andy Dalton until the final minutes of Sunday's blowout and no showdown of No. 1 picks in consecutive years, all eyes were on Williams. And for good reason.

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