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Caleb Williams sent a message to critics in more ways than 1 in his Bears return

ByRyan Heckman
Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams
Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

You heard it all. You saw it all. Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams was criticized and made fun of by much of the national media after going down to his hamstring tear back in Week 2.

We saw his emotions criticized, his manhood called into question (whatever society wants to label "manhood," these days, that is), and the video of him being carted off became an instant meme just hours after the injury.

So, for him to get back on the field just four weeks after suffering a tear to that right hamstring was a huge win not only for him, but for the Bears and this fan base altogether. It was a big moment for the team, especially after seeing him under so much scrutiny for the past month.

Caleb Williams let his play shut the mouths of critics

Williams returned to lead the Bears in a victory over the Atlanta Falcons, and he wasted no time doing so. It began on the very first drive.

And then it continued on to the second drive.

And the third, and so on.

Williams came out firing. He came out sharp, decisive, and spread the ball around to several different receivers. In fact, he was so sharp to begin with that Williams completed his first 12 passes for 142 yards and a touchdown.

Ending with over 300 passing yards, a score and zero giveaways? Bears fans will take that all day, especially in his first game played in about a month's time.

Message sent to the critics: he's back with a vengeance.

But, that wasn't the only message sent.

The Caleb Williams completion percentage narrative is essentially dead

If you look at his performance and the totality of what was done, you might notice one key metric standing tall above the rest.

It's the metric that was often-criticized over the past several months and a metric that even head coach Ben Johnson acknowledged was a focus for his quarterback.

Williams was accurate and on-point with his passes on this day. He ended the game going 30-for-36 passing, good for 83.3 percent completion.

Remember all of the critics -- many of whom reside in the state of Wisconson -- who had nothing else to criticize other than Williams' completion percentage?

I mean, when you get embarrassed in such dramatic, comeback fashion, twice in a row, I suppose you hold onto whatever you possibly can.

Packers fans held tightly to the completion percentage narrative, and so did many other Williams critics.

Alas, in three games this season, Williams is now up to 73.3%.

It's a beautiful thing.

You know what else is a beautiful thing?

Shutting the mouths of critics.

Whether critics opted to take aim at Williams the person and his character, or Williams the football player, his performance in Week 6 felt like one gigantic statement directed at every single one of them.

Read more: Kyler Gordon proved me wrong by setting an NFL record in his Bears return

He came out firing, left the field smiling, and took home a win. It was about as good of a day you could have if you're a franchise quarterback who was under plenty of unfair fire the last few weeks.

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