Caleb Williams may already be one of the NFL's best QBs, according to one stat
![Chicago Bears v Buffalo Bills Chicago Bears v Buffalo Bills](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_3050,h_1715,x_0,y_43/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/GettyImages/mmsport/60/01j53fzb6aej87vrydvh.jpg)
What did you expect to happen? Did you think Caleb Williams was going to have a decent Bears debut and everyone was just going to be cool about it? That's not how any of this works!
Williams finally played some "meaningful" football this weekend, and the results were about as good as anyone could ask for: he went 4-7 seven for 95 yards and 101.8 passer rating, along with 13 rushing yards. He flashed all the traits that every college, draft, and NFL analyst predicted he'd flash – the playmaking was there, the confidence was there, and it'd been years since Bears fans saw a QB quickly go through his reads and make the right decision. It was their Super Bowl.
And while it's certainly easy to laugh at Bears fans' excitement – we're laughing with you! – the preseason coronation looks ... kinda of justified.
Williams passed his first eye test with flying colors, and some of the nerdy stats confirm what everyone now knows: the Bears are back.
Caleb Williams was the most efficient QB in NFL during Preseason Week 1
most efficient QBs of Preseason Wk 1
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) August 11, 2024
1. Caleb Williams (0.97)
2. Joe Burrow (0.62)
3. J.J. McCarthy (0.57)
4. Gardner Minshew (0.55)
5. Adrian Martinez (0.48)
6. Logan Woodside (0.42)
7. Chris Oladokun (0.36)
8. Andrew Peasley (0.35)
9. Mason Rudolph (0.31)
10. Kyle Allen (0.31)…
Expected Points Added (EPA), broadly speaking, measures how well a player or team performs compared to the average. The stat aims to add a numerical value to each play or drive. All you need to know is that it's value-based and that Caleb Williams was the most valuable quarterback across the NFL in Preseason Week 1.
Raise the banner!
Now, here comes the lame part where I feel obligated to talk about sample sizes, preseason expectations, etc. It's still early; Williams has only played a handful of snaps. Whatever. Using Warren Sharp stats without context to prove a point is one of the preseason's most fun traditions, and I refuse to let "context" get in the way of my arguments. Besides, any Top 10 list with Gardner Minshew, Logan Woodside, and Andrew Peasley has to be legit.
Caleb Williams better than Joe Burrow, confirmed. The JJ McCarthy number's probably just a fluke, though.
feed