How Sunday showed different development approaches of Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels

The Chicago Bears and Washington Commanders game, featuring the 2024 draft's top two picks at quarterback, was flexed into the late window on Sunday, and for good reason.

Both quarterbacks were coming into it flying pretty high. Caleb Williams and the Bears were coming off their bye week after winning three straight games. Jayden Daniels was playing to put his team in sole possession of first place in the NFC East — something few people gave them a shot at prior to the season starting.

Washington has scored the third-most points in the league behind only the Detroit Lions and Baltimore Ravens. The Commanders have a top-three offense by measures of production. They're controlling the clock, retaining possession and converting third downs at the fourth-highest clip in the league. It certainly doesn't look like a rookie quarterback is at the helm of that offense.

The Bears, meanwhile, had a slow start. But over the last three games, including one overseas in London against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Williams and his new offense under Shane Waldron looked like they were clicking. Waldron had figured out his personnel. Williams had built a rapport with each one of his weapons, who had each had their own breakout game. Chicago was fourth in their division, sure, but they were sitting at 4-2 in a loaded NFC North, thanks in large part to a defense that hit the ground running and ranked top-three in takeaways leading up to the game, even after their bye week.

But there are caveats to everything.

The Bears, for instance, hadn't played a tough schedule (though they have the league's hardest-remaining schedule by opponent win percentage going forward thanks to their division). In fact, no team the Bears played before Sunday had more