There’s no reason for the Bears to put the brakes on Caleb Williams.
That’s the simple truth behind what this offense is trying to be. Ben Johnson isn’t chasing safe, empty completion numbers. He wants chunk plays, and the Bears showed exactly what that looks like last season, finishing with the fifth-most passing plays of 20 yards or more at 60 and ranking third in rushing plays of 10 yards or more with 67.
So if Williams’ 58.1 completion percentage catches the eye, it should come with a warning label. Box-score watching can lead you to the wrong conclusion fast, especially if you’re trying to judge what this quarterback and this offense are built to do. The low completion rate might look ugly at first glance, but it doesn’t tell the full story of how Johnson wants the Bears to attack defenses.
Williams is entering the second year in the system, and that matters. He now has a better feel for what his head coach is asking from him on each snap, which should help his accuracy.
But even if the number doesn’t jump in a dramatic way, that still wouldn’t be the clearest sign of growth. In Johnson’s offense, the real test is whether Williams keeps pushing the ball downfield and creating explosive plays.
And Williams sounds fully on board with that approach. When asked this week about Johnson’s impact on his deep-shot mentality, he said he’s always “been an explosive play guy,” and called himself “a shot taker.”
That is exactly the mindset Johnson needs from his quarterback. Williams has the kind of weapons that can make those aggressive throws pay off, starting with outside receivers Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III. At tight end, he also has Colston Loveland, a player he described as a mismatch nightmare.
Add in a run game that finished with the third-most yards in the NFL, and the ingredients are there for the Bears to be one of the league’s most explosive offenses again. It all comes back to the pairing of Johnson and Williams. In their second season together, they get the chance to show the rest of the NFL what this offense can really become.
In Other News...
Caleb Williams Only Reached Chicago Because One Team Blew It
Caleb Williams is in Chicago because the Bears took the aggressive route to secure the No. 1 pick, a move that ultimately came from trading with Carolina and reshaping the top of the draft. Williams has already shown he understands the scale of what the Bears invested to get him, noting his appreciation for the chance to join a historic franchise and help move it forward.
For Chicago, the trade was about more than landing a quarterback. It was a bet on a long-term centerpiece, the kind of swing the franchise needed after years of searching for stability at the position, and it now leaves both teams measured against the same deal every time Williams takes the field. The part that still hangs over it is how Carolinas side of the move will be remembered if Williams develops into the kind of player the Bears believe they finally found. [Read more 🡒]
Kyler Gordon Situation Is Starting To Feel Like A Bigger Bears Problem
Kyler Gordons calf injury has turned into one of the more uneasy early-season storylines around Halas Hall. The Bears already know they will be without the cornerback for at least the first four games, and what was supposed to be a temporary absence has started to feel more open-ended as the team waits for a clearer read on when he might actually be back.
Former Bears coach Dave Wannstedt added to the concern by questioning whether Gordon will even make it back this season, and the uncertainty has only sharpened the pressure on Ben Johnson and Ryan Poles to have answers they do not seem to have yet. For a defense that counted on Gordon as part of its backbone, the longer this lingers, the more it stops looking like a simple injury update and starts looking like a real problem. [Read more 🡒]
Ben Johnson Just Gave Bears Fans A Reason To Believe
Ben Johnsons tone around the Bears has noticeably shifted as Week 1 arrives, and that alone is enough to catch the attention of a fan base that has spent years waiting for signs of real progress. After spending the offseason talking about standards and habits, the new head coach said the team is now practicing at a championship level, a striking change from where his message was a year ago.
Johnson also pointed to the work ethic building through the week leading into games, which is exactly the kind of detail Bears fans have been hoping to hear from a coach trying to change the culture. Still, he made clear the hard part comes later, when the season starts to wear on players physically and the challenge becomes keeping that level of preparation intact every week. [Read more 🡒]