By Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles’ measurement, No. 1 pick Caleb Williams is precisely where he should be five games into his NFL career.
Williams has five touchdowns, four interceptions and three wins as the Bears land in London to square off with the Jacksonville Jaguars (1-4) on Sunday.
Poles said Wednesday that Williams is “right where he should be and continuing to get better” with the Bears gunning for three consecutive wins for the first time since December 2020, which included a victory over the Jaguars.
“You’ve seen that in terms of the efficiency, protecting the football, taking what (defenses have) given to him,” Poles said. “And then going into this last game, now explosives are starting to show up. So I really like his progress. I love the work ethic and the time that he’s put into it … the grit and toughness, the ability to bounce back from tough games.”
Williams is 24th in the NFL in completion percentage and has been sacked 17 times. However, Jacksonville’s pass defense is being torched consistently, allowing 956 passing yards, nine touchdowns and a completion percentage over 73 percent the past three weeks.
The Bears decided to depart for their international game on Monday night after head coach Matt Eberflus personally experienced the jet lag common from flying to Europe last summer on a trip to Italy. He said the Bears conducted two walkthrough workouts on Wednesday while they adjust to the time change in London. They plan to resume a normal work week on Thursday.
Wide receiver DJ Moore stressed the up-tempo pace the Bears are utilizing to make defenses uncomfortable has helped simplify some elements of the offense for Williams and the receivers.
He said the early arrival helped free him for a food tour and will benefit the Bears feeling ready to go on Sunday.
“Getting a win out here and going on a bye week happy is a must,” Moore said. “Back-to-back wins, just to stack those wins, keep that going for the rest of the year.”