The Chicago Bears have the week off following a dominating 35-16 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars this past Sunday in London. The most significant takeaway from the contest was the performance of rookie quarterback Caleb Williams, who threw four touchdowns, but even more impressively demonstrated a superb ability to scramble when needed. The dual-threat capability displayed by Williams against the Jaguars matters because it could be the last hurdle in making the quarterback a truly unstoppable talent.

Caleb Williams’ scrambling ability makes him a truly dangerous dual-threat quarterback

In the victory over Jacksonville, Caleb Williams passed for four touchdowns, completed 23 of 29 passes, had 226 passing yards, but most importantly rushed for 56 yards on four attempts. Of the four rushing attempts, only one was a design run while the rest of the attempts were scrambles on passing plays. All three times that Williams scrambled, the rookie picked up first-downs for the Bears’ offense.

Although 56 yards might not seem like a lot, it is significant to note that all three rushes were ten yards or more and came after Williams went through his progressions before deciding to the run the ball. Unlike other Bears’ quarterbacks in the past like Justin Fields and Mitchell Trubisky, who were talented as scramblers, the most consistent criticism about them scrambling was their inability to go through all their progressions before leaving the pocket. On Sunday, Caleb Williams’ scrambles came when no one was open downfield, enabling him to make a play with his feet instead of his arm.

One of the most impressive aspects to Williams’ development so far through six games has been his notable growth from game-to-game. Although the last four contests have been noticeable for Caleb Williams’ passing growth, Sunday’s contest against the Jaguars was rewarding because it was the first time the rookie displayed his scrambling ability, something that played a significant role into why so many draft scouts believed he was the best player in the 2024 NFL Draft. With the running ability that shown in the win over Jacksonville, Caleb Williams may be on the verge of a very special rookie run, now that he is capable of being a dual-threat quarterback.

The dual-threat capability as an NFL quarterback matters because all the elite-level talents at the position are able to beat defenses by both throwing the ball and scrambling. Based on what was seen against the Jaguars, Caleb Williams could join the group of Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, and Joe Burrow very soon. What makes these signal-callers so deadly to defend against is their ability to create plays by countering any defensive scheme thrown at them.

A key example of Williams’ dual-threat ability being nearly impossible to defend was a passing-play that came in the fourth quarter of Chicago’s game against the Jaguars. With the Bears’ offense having the ball on Jacksonville’s 36 yard-line, Caleb Williams was chased out of the pocket to his right and looked to scramble, but at the last second threw back to the middle of the field to a wide-open Cole Ket who took the ball all the way to Jacksonville’s nine for a 27-yard game.  Kmet was left wide open because several defenders came up to keep the rookie from scrambling for the first down.

Caleb Williams’ scrambling ability is perfect for Chicago’s offensive personnel

Having an elite capability to make plays with both his feet and right arm, along with knowing when to use each is the most vital aspect to Caleb Williams’ development as a quarterback. Too often do rookie signal-callers often lean on scrambling, so much that it delays or even hinders their development as a passer. Williams already has had more games where he has developed his passing skills, throwing for 300 yards twice before recording a game of 50 rushing yards or more.

Williams’ ability to be a skillful passer enabled him to be successful as a runner because Jacksonville’s defense was keen on stopping Chicago’s passing offense, which is why the Bears’ offensively struggled at the start of the game and then began having success after several of Caleb Williams’ scrambles in the second quarter. Chicago’s next opponent on October 27th, the Washington Commanders, could look to limit the rookie’s desire to scramble leading to him having a more prominent passing performance.

Especially with the pass-catching weapons that Chicago’s offense has with players such as D’Andre Swift, DJ Moore, Rome Odunze, Keenan Allen, and Cole Kmet, the offense can could be hard to defend against going forward. With defenders having to cover so many skilled weapons, Caleb Williams has the benefit of taking what the defense is giving him while being able to manipulate defensive coverage based on what he wants to do. The rookie can fake trying to scramble in order to free up a wide receiver downfield because of a defender suddenly leaving their assignment.

The remainder of the 2024 season could be very exciting for Bears’ fans given how Caleb Williams has progressed as a passer and now as a scrambler too. With two weeks off until Chicago’s next game, the team’s rookie signal-caller has had three terrific performances as a thrower and runner, allowing him to study an immense level of film to improve his play even more after the bye week. Having a performance where Williams was successful on the ground allows him to become an elite-level talent faster than expected, which could be seen before the end of 2024.

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