Caleb Williams on Track of Doing What No Bears Quarterback Has Ever Done
Caleb Williams received positive news ahead of his big showdown against ex-Oklahoma teammate and New Orleans Saints quarterback Spencer Rattler. Williams is on the trail of becoming the first-ever Chicago Bears quarterback to cross 4000 passing yards in a single season.
Fans and analysts, barring a few, wrote Williams off following a rough 5-12 start to life as a rookie in Chicago. They just assumed Williams is just another body in the long line of failed quarterbacks.
What they failed to realize is that a first-year quarterback is as good as his offensive line (ranked 17th). If the line fails to protect the QB, then he is prone to taking sacks (Williams took 68 sacks, which was the most in the league by a significant margin).
Despite that, Williams had thrown 351 completions from 562 attempts for 3541 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions.
Ben Johnson came in as the head coach, but the experiment experienced an early setback with back-to-back losses against divisional opponents. The Bears finally found their stride in week three against the Dallas Cowboys.
Williams threw 4 touchdowns and posted a quarterback rating of 150.30. Two more wins followed. They came away with a win from Vegas and then took revenge on the Commanders in week six.
StatMuse reported that Williams set a record that no Bears quarterback has ever managed before him. The 23-year-old threw at least 200 yards and 1 touchdown in each of his first five games for the Bears.
According to Mike Florio of NBC Sports, if Caleb Williams continues on the same path, he will end up with 4,008 yards after 17 games, 235.8 per game.
Most fans believe that
| Quarterback | Year | Yards |
| Erik Kramer | 1995 | 3838 |
| Jay Cutler | 2014 | 3812 |
| Jay Cutler | 2009 | 3666 |
| Jay Cutler | 2015 | 3659 |
| Caleb Williams | 2024 | 3541 |
Caleb Williams vs. Spencer Rattler: the Sooners Bowl in Chicago
A lot is riding on the week seven fixture between the Bears and the Saints. More than a win, bragging rights are at stake. Both sets of fans are undeniably ready to support their favorite teams, but there’s another section of fans that will keep an eye on this duel at Soldier Field.
Dubbed the Sooner Bowl 2.0 (Baker Mayfield vs. Jalen Hurts was the first one), due to Williams and Rattler’s allegiance to the University of Oklahoma football team, this tie has generated a lot of steam.
Rattler, a five-star recruit, was the Sooners’ starting quarterback in 2020 and 2021 until he was benched in favor of Williams in the second quarter against Texas in 2021. Williams then went on to rally the Sooners to a 55-48 victory in the Red River Derby.
Lincoln Riley named Williams the starter for the rest of the year and the next year as well. Rattler entered the transfer portal and signed with the South Carolina Gamecocks. When Riley left for USC, he took Williams with him, where he won the Heisman Trophy in 2023.
The Bears selected Williams first overall, while Rattler fell to the fifth round (150th overall) in the 2024 NFL draft.
While speaking with The Chicago Tribune, Williams revealed that he is not in touch with Rattler after the two went their separate ways. There will be a chip on their shoulder, especially on Rattler’s, as the Saints are 1-5.
I like to put myself up against those guys in that class. I’ve been competing with those guys since high school ball. I’m still doing it to this day. I love to compete against those guys, and I definitely want to be mentioned in that group because, confidence-wise, I’m up there with those guys
Spencer Rattler said.
The Bears have opened as favorites to win against the Saints, as per BetMGM.
- Against the spread (ATS): Saints +4.5 (-110) | Bears -4.5 (-110)
- Over/Under (O/U): 45.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
Brian Callahan on the Hot Seat - Titans May Already Have Callahan’s Replacement
The Tennessee Titans were embarrassed on Sunday, losing 41-20 at home to their AFC South rival Indianapolis Colts. It represented the franchise's ninth consecutive loss dating back to the 2024 campaign, their sixth straight at Nissan Stadium. Head coach Brian Callahan is now an unthinkable 3-17 through 20 contests in charge, and is undoubtedly on the hot seat.
The scenes at Nissan Stadium were grim on Sunday. Even in Week 3, the presence of No. 1 overall quarterback Cam Ward isn't enough to maintain a fair weather fan base's interest in the team, proven by the lackluster attendance numbers. Owner Amy Adams Strunk was in attendance for Sunday's disaster.
Adams Strunk was on the field during a halftime ceremony when CEO Burke Nihill was booed before he helped induct Mike Keith into the Titans' Ring of Honor. Keith, rightfully so, received loud cheers from the emphatic crowd, who made their disdain for Callahan and the current football product abundantly clear. If Callahan is fired anytime soon, and the chances of him being let go increased on Sunday, the Titans have a potential interim successor on staff in senior offensive assistant Mike McCoy.
Titans' offensive assistant Mike McCoy is the perfect Brian Callahan interim successor
McCoy is one of three Titans assistants on staff with interim/head coaching experience. Bill Callahan and John "Bones" Fassel are the other two. The elder Callahan would obviously be disinterested in succeeding his fired son, and there's merit in keeping Fassel as the special teams coordinator, considering how much that unit has improved.
The Titans hired the 53-year-old McCoy earlier this year. He was the Denver Broncos' offensive coordinator from 2009 to 2012, and the San Diego Chargers' head coach from 2013 to 2016. McCoy amassed a coaching record of 27-37, and his four years of experience would make him a legitimate candidate in a caretaker role.
McCoy then returned to the Broncos as offensive coordinator in 2017, and held the same role with the Arizona Cardinals in 2018. He could call plays if necessary. Alternatively, assuming Callahan disciple and current OC Nick Holz would be fired alongside him, quarterbacks coach Bo Hardegree would be a good candidate to call plays after doing so on an interim basis with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2023.
The Titans have options should they fire Callahan and need to name an interim. Dennard Wilson and Fassel will probably receive the majority of recommendations. However, McCoy is the most logical candidate, with quarterbacks coach Hardegree in a play-calling role.
