These two stats show why the Chicago Bears' recent success is not fools' gold

1. Caleb Williams' performance in the 3-game win streak outperforms fellow QBs against those same teams

In the three-game win streak, Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears have knocked off the LA Rams, the Carolina Panthers, and the Jacksonville Jaguars. Skeptics are quick to point out that these are the 3 of the worst pass defenses in the NFL as an excuse for the great performances, but when comparing how Caleb Williams did against these teams to how other quarterbacks fared, this narrative starts to unravel.

In week 4 against the Rams, Caleb Williams completed 74% of his passes with a 106.6 passer rating. Of all the starting quarterbacks the Rams have faced so far this season, he is the third-best in each of these categories. In fact, both Jordan Love and Jared Goff fared worse against this Rams defense, with Jared Goff needing overtime to put this Rams team away in week 1.

Goff and Love also both threw an interception against the Rams, something Caleb did not do. All three teams (Bears, Lions, and Packers) all beat the Rams, and objectively all three quarterbacks played well but if the Packers and Lions wouldn't be discredited for beating the Rams, then there's no reason to discount the Bears and Caleb Williams for doing the same [Statmuse].

In weeks 5 and 6, when Caleb Williams really took off, the opponent quality argument really began to take shape. However, against these teams as well Caleb's performance stacks up against his contemporaries. His performance against Carolina trails only Derek Carr's week 1 performance, and in terms of passer rating he outperformed Joe Burrow, Justin Herbert, and Kirk Cousins [Statmuse]. In week 6, his production against the Jaguars trails Josh Allen, and he outperformed C.J. Stroud [Statmuse].

Over the course of this win streak, the Bears are beating up on their competition and it is in large part due to the play of their rookie quarterback. While Caleb is still developing and no one is crowning him just yet, his recent play not only stacks up well against fellow young and upcoming quarterbacks in the NFL but really against anyone who has played the same opponent.