Caleb Williams improbable touchdown has drawn eerie comparisons to historic play

Dec 14, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears wide receiver DJ Moore (2) catches a pass for a touchdown against Cleveland Browns cornerback Tyson Campbell (7) and Cleveland Browns safety Grant Delpit (9) during the third quarter at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images Matt Marton-Imagn Images

Caleb Williams improbable touchdown has drawn eerie comparisons to historic play

Originally posted on Chicago Bears on SI
By Jerry Markarian | Last updated Dec 15, 2025 11:30 PM ET

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Caleb Williams is still smoothing out the edges of his game, but he looks every bit like a budding superstar. That was never more evident than it was on his second touchdown of the game against the Browns.

The play looked like it was dead. He was scrambling to his right and was feet away from the out-of-bounds line with two defenders in his face before he lobbed up a cross-body pass to the back of the end zone. It looked like it might've gone out of bounds. A foot or two higher, and it definitely would have. Somehow, against all odds, his intended receiver brought it down.

If that description sounds familiar, it's probably because it resulted in a near-identical play to one of the most iconic plays in NFL history.

Joe Montana to Dwight Clark.. "The Catch".

Who did it better? pic.twitter.com/TPzOzntZfx
— Depressed Bears Fan (@DepBearsFan) December 16, 2025

Like I said, shockingly similar.

The moment in which "The Catch" occurred obviously made it a one-of-a-kind situation, considering it effectively sent San Francisco to the Super Bowl with a win over Dallas in the NFC Championship. The stakes were just a bit higher than a Week 14 game over a hapless Browns team.

However, you could even make a strong argument that Williams' throw actually had a much higher level of difficulty.

I was in the stadium, and I thought for sure it was going to be intercepted. It looked like a gift-wrapped interception, and I still don't know how he fit the ball into the window he did. Two defenders were crowding Moore in the back of the end zone. The ball went just over the outstretched arms of one of them.

Was it ill-advised? Maybe. Very few players can rip a pass with the necessary velocity to cut through the wind while throwing off-platform. Williams clearly didn't have any qualms with pulling the trigger, though.

In fact, he doubled down and had the perfect response to the exact question above.

Caleb Williams was asked if that TD pass in the back of the endzone to DJ Moore was an ill-advised throw:

"I can make any throw"pic.twitter.com/ylLYsSmDSj
— Dave (@davebfr) December 14, 2025

It's beautiful to see. Williams is turning into a demon right before our very eyes. He can flex his arm talent, but the fact of the matter is that was a pass that had no business being completed. It was not only one of the most improbable completions of the season, but it was one of the most improbable completions a Bears QB has thrown in the past five years (according to Next Gen Stats).

Caleb Williams' 22-yard TD pass to DJ Moore had a completion probability of 16.1%, the most improbable completion by a @ChicagoBears QB over the last five seasons (since 2021).

QB Speed: 11.62 mph
Target Separation: 0.7 yards#CLEvsCHI | #DaBears pic.twitter.com/ScSnMSigJ3
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) December 14, 2025

You could make a strong case that Williams played the best game of his career against Cleveland.