At the moment, everybody is talking about the goal Ben Johnson set out for the Chicago Bears in 2026; to have the highest-scoring offense in NFL history for a full season.
After just one week, the Bears are in shockingly-good position having dropped 59 points and over 550 yards on the Carolina Panthers.
But, more importantly to this fan base than having the greatest offense ever, would be to have a quarterback pass for over 4,000 yards and 30 touchdowns -- two feats that have never been done by a Chicago player.
Williams owns the franchise record for passing yards in a season, which he set last year, with 3,942, while Erik Kramer tossed 29 touchdowns back in 1995, a record that still stands today.
Following the outburst on offense from these Bears in Week 1 in Carolina, just where exactly does William stand when it comes to those franchise records?
Caleb Williams’ passing yards and touchdowns after Week 1
Williams put on a lights-out performance against the Panthers in Week 1, dazzling us while looking in full control of the offense and completing 72 percent of his passes (hello, critics?).
Passing Yards vs. CAR | Passing TDs vs. CAR |
|---|---|
269 | 2 |
At first glance, 269 passing yards seems decent, but it doesn't quite feel like he's off to a blistering start, considering the Bears scored almost 60 points in this one. Yet, when you look at the season at scale, it's a better start than you might think.
What Caleb Williams needs to do in order to break 4,000 yards and 30 passing TDs
Believe it or not, Williams' start to the season was a strong 45 yards above the mark he needs to average over the course of his remaining 16 games if he's to hit 4,000 on the year.
Passing Yards Left to Reach 4,000 | Passing TDs left to reach 30 | Passing YDS/GM Needed | Passing TD/GM needed |
|---|---|---|---|
3,731 | 28 | 234 YDS/GM | 1.75 TD/GM |
Needing 3,731 yards the rest of the way, that puts him at a goal of 234 passing yards per game from here on out.
That's not so bad.
In addition, the fact that Williams needs just under two passing touchdowns per game for the remainder of the year doesn't feel all that lofty, either.
What really makes these needed averages look feasible is just how dominant the Bears' offense was against the Panthers. Now, not every defense the rest of the way is going to be that bad. However, the Bears are going to have more offensive explosions.
You can bet this isn't the last one. As Williams, himself, noted after the game, this should be considered the team's "worst" performance of the year.
Now, that doesn't mean the Bears are going to score over 60 points in each of their remaining games, but they do have a few things to clean up. Chicago could have hung over 80 points on the Panthers, believe it or not. The proof is right here.
Caleb Williams’ next opponent in Week 2 is a fierce Minnesota Vikings defense led by Brian Flores
In Week 2, the Bears will host the Minnesota Vikings.
I cannot overstate how much of an advantage it is that this game is played at Soldier Field. What we saw out of the Vikings crowd, late in the game against the Packers in Week 1, was enough to make a deaf man need ear plugs.
Brian Flores' defense was all over Jordan Love in this game, but Love actually performed admirably. Because the season is only one week in, let's look at how Love fared against the Vikings in what we'll label as Minnesota's defensive numbers allowed on the season.
Passing YDS/GM Allowed | Passing TD/GM Allowed | QB Sacks/GM | PTS Allowed/GM |
|---|---|---|---|
387 | 2 | 4 | 22.0 |
The fact Love passed for nearly 400 yards on this Vikings defense is astounding, to say the least. Green Bay's offensive line had some serious question marks coming into the season and Flores had his defense blitzing on nearly 80 percent of dropbacks -- that is absurd.
Should Williams be pressured at that type of rate against the Vikings, he'll need to showcase his legs as he did against Carolina, rushing for 65 yards on 10 carries. Don't discount the fact that Williams also lost 10-15 pounds over the offseason. He was already quick, but the extra nimbleness is going to come in handy against a ferocious Vikings front.
But again, we're talking about Williams breaking the all-time passing record in a season. And, judging by what Love did against Green Bay, I'd say Williams has a great chance of staying even further on pace.
Remember, Rome Odunze wasn't involved other than one massive play early on. Luther Burden III and Colston Loveland also did not score a touchdown with the latter not even registering a reception.
Read more: Bears have a tricky path to replacing Jaylon Johnson or Tyrique Stevenson
As Williams said, this could end up being their "worst" game of the year.
Whew, baby.
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