Each QB has lived up to their team’s expectations so far. And if they continue their promising paths, the pair will be competing for individual and team honors for years to come. However, this season begins with one award: the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Age.
When the Commanders (5-2) host the Bears (4-2) on Sunday (4:25 p.m., ET, CBS) at Northwest Stadium, Daniels will enter the sport as the odds-on favorite to win the award at -120 . , according to ESPN BET. Williams is later at +105, followed by Malik Nabers of the Brandnew York Giants (+2200) and Brian Thomas Jr. of the Jacksonville Jaguars (+2500).
There is the expectation that the story of the award favorites going through all the options could be spoiled, on the other hand, since Daniels is in doubt due to a shock to the ribs. But the award will be for a season, not a game.
ESPN Bears reporter Courtney Cronin and Commanders reporter John Keim gauge the OROY chances for Williams and Daniels.
Jayden Daniels, Commanders
Statistics: Daniels has thrown for 1,410 yards, six touchdowns and two interceptions and trails Josh Allen (77.6) of the Buffalo Expenses and Lamar Jackson (74.3) of the Baltimore Ravens in overall QBR with 73.9. Daniels ran for 372 yards and 4 touchdowns. He leads the NFL in final touch ratio with 75.6.
Beyond the statistics: With 90 passing yards and 28 rushing yards, Daniels would tie former Washington megastar Robert Griffin III as the only player in NFL history with 1,500 passing yards and 400 rushing yards in his first eight professional games. Daniels was already expecting two records: the highest finishing percentage after four games with 82.1% and the first to finish at least 85% of his passes in consecutive games.
Why you can win OROY: After four games, he was already being talked about as a possible MVP candidate and was named September’s Rookie of the Game. There are a couple of causes for Washington’s offensive resurgence: coordinator Kliff Kingsbury and his staff among them. However, it all starts with Daniels.
Washington averages 30.1 sport points — he hasn’t topped 20 sport points in a season since 2017. Daniels’ accuracy is helping the sport of running, and the ultimatum of his operation is helping others within the sport of running.
Imagine, too, that Daniels joined a franchise that hasn’t had a successful season since 2016 and won just four games in the last month, and has an impeccable training staff and an overhauled roster. But after seven games, the Commanders are believed to be a strong contender to win the bracket.
“He’s the leader of our team,” veteran tight end Zach Ertz said. “He’s a phenomenal player and he’s going to be a great player for a long time.”
Why would it possibly fall?: Daniels’ strength will probably be examined in the second half. He has been hit 79 times this season, sixth most among quarterbacks.
At 210 pounds, Daniels is tiny. Will injuries slow him down in any way down the stretch? Williams will most likely emerge with skill around him. He has a 75.3 QBR over his last three games, up from 46.5 this season, and benefits from a stronger defense that gives him more opportunities. — Keim
Caleb Williams, Bears
Statistics: Williams has thrown for 1,317 yards, 9 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. His final touch percentage of 65.3% and passer rating of 88.7 each rank him twenty-sixth among starting quarterbacks, beyond his overall QBR of 46.4, which ranks him in the twenty-sixth. After a rocky 1-2 start, Williams has thrown six touchdowns and just one interception in his last two games for an offense that ranks 12th in trouble in the sport (24.7).
Beyond the statistics: If Williams throws for 300 yards and two touchdowns against the Commanders, he will become the fifth quarterback in the Super Bowl event to have three such games in his first seven starts.
Why you can win OROY: Williams had a passer rating above 100 in each of his last three games, after completing 74.1% of his passes since Generation 4, and is the catalyst for an offense with a possible dozen.
Chicago’s offense has begun to fade, racking up 35 problems in consecutive wins over the Carolina Panthers and Jaguars. The denial. The first overall pick is 3 touchdown passes shy of the rookie franchise record (12) and would eclipse Mitchell Trubisky’s Bears rookie passing record (2,193 yards) with an average of 219.5 yards depending on the sport.
And beyond raising the bar for a once-dormant passing attack, Williams has also shown that he’s also an ultimatum to grow outdoors with 110 rushing yards (7.3 yards/rush) in his last three games.
“I mean, who are the defenses going to stop?” mentioned long receiver Keenan Allen. “Are you going to stop the quarterback or the route-running guys? It’s hard to do both.”
Why would it possibly fall?: Crew luck can affect a player’s odds of winning Offensive Rookie of the Era. Stroud won last month by leading the Houston Texans to the postseason. The Bears will need to book successfully in a stacked NFC North, where all four teams have successful records and the three defenses Williams will face twice each from Weeks 11-18 rank in the top 10 in EPA/play games.
That extension will eventually determine whether the Bears are a playoff team, and their path to getting there would require a dozen from their rookie quarterback. — Cronin
