Bears' Caleb Williams shockingly ranks No. 1 among NFL QBs in important category

Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears are 2-2 and a work in progress. But there's no denying the quarterback is trending in the right direction.

Despite a sloppy - lucky? - performance that head coach Ben Johnson called a "mess" in last week's victory over the Las Vegas Raiders, the Bears enter their Bye with decent momentum and positive vibes. At 0-2 and after an ugly blowout in Detroit, this season could have been over before it really got started.

But in victories over the Dallas Cowboys and Raiders, Williams has shown glimpses of improvement. And with just a little digging into analytics, his better play is undeniable.

Williams is well below Johnson's target 70-percent completions (62.5) and just a smidge behind pace for 4,000 yards (3,939). But he's again protecting the ball, with only two interceptions in 180 throws. He's also much better at getting rid of the ball quickly against pressure, evidenced by only seven sacks (four of which came against the Lions in one game). Last year he took a league-high 68 sacks.

His seven this season rank him 19th, tied with the likes of three pretty good quarterbacks named Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes and Jayden Daniels.

According to Next Gen Stats, in fact, Williams is not only improved against a heavy pass rush but now he's the best in the league at avoiding and exploiting pressure.