Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams spent his first month in the NFL alternating between brief appearances that made him a Heisman Trophy winner, a No. 1 overall pick, and a rookie dealing with the relentless The NFL’s learning curve had to be dealt with.

Five weeks into his career, Williams played his best and most complete game in Sunday’s 36-10 win over Carolina.

Some restrictions apply. The Panthers are a poor 1-4 and their defense remains one of the worst against the pass in the NFL. And yet, even in September, Chicago rarely looked like a contender, which highlighted the strength of Williams’ controlled performance on Sunday, when he completed 20 of his 29 passes for 296 yards, with two touchdowns and no turnovers.

In his first four games, Williams completed 61% of his passes while constantly being sacked and unable to rely on a ground game that averaged 3.5 yards per carry, second-worst in the league. That average barely budged against the Panthers, but when Carolina had to account for D’Andre Swift’s early productivity as a runner and receiver out of the backfield, it opened up throws for Williams in game action.