The Chicago Bears have found their identity, and it’s written in bold, bruising letters: run the football. Head coach Ben Johnson has installed one of the most physical, creative rushing attacks in the league, and it was on full display in Friday night’s win over the Philadelphia Eagles. Chicago piled up 281 yards on the ground, and they did it with a mix of power, precision, and a whole lot of attitude.
But this isn’t just about the offensive line blowing open lanes or the backs hitting them with burst-though both were excellent. D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai ran like they were shot out of a cannon, and the front five controlled the line of scrimmage from start to finish. The Bears dictated terms, and the Eagles had no answer.
Still, there’s more going on here than just old-school trench dominance. Caleb Williams, the rookie quarterback, is playing a subtle but critical role in the success of this ground game.
And it’s not about flashy throws or highlight-reel scrambles-it’s about the little things. The details.
The stuff that doesn’t always show up in the box score but makes everything else work.
Offensive line expert Brandon Thorn highlighted this in a recent breakdown, pointing out how Williams has embraced a craft that many young quarterbacks overlook: ball-handling.
It might sound simple-take the snap, hand it off, move on. But it’s not.
Great ball-handling is all about timing, rhythm, and deception. When you’re under center, there’s no room for error.
The mesh point has to be clean, the handoff has to hit the back in stride, and the motion has to sell the illusion of a possible pass. Williams, still in the early stages of his NFL journey, is already showing an advanced feel for this part of the game.
That attention to detail is paying off. The Bears’ run game isn’t just effective-it’s deceptive.
Johnson’s scheme blends zone runs with gap concepts, uses motion to manipulate defenders, and leans on Williams’ ability to sell fakes that even the broadcast cameras bite on. It’s not just about execution-it’s about illusion.
And Williams is buying into that fully.
One play in particular against the Eagles showed just how much that matters. The Bears sealed the game with a 28-yard touchdown to Cole Kmet off a play-action fake.
The key? Williams made the fake look identical to the handoffs that had been gashing Philly all night.
The defense bit hard, and Kmet slipped behind them untouched. That’s not just good play-calling-it’s great quarterbacking.
And here’s the thing: Williams didn’t grow up in a system that emphasized this kind of under-center work. He’s learning it on the fly.
A year ago, he wasn’t doing any of this. Now, he’s executing it like a veteran.
That’s a credit to his work ethic, and to Johnson’s coaching.
It’s also a reminder of something Peyton Manning has said in the past-how too many young quarterbacks don’t take the art of the handoff seriously. They treat it like a formality instead of a weapon.
Williams, to his credit, is taking it seriously. And that’s helping the Bears’ run game function like a well-tuned orchestra.
Now, to be clear, Williams still has areas to grow. His footwork in the pocket is inconsistent, and that’s affecting his accuracy.
Those are real concerns, and they’ll need to be addressed as the season goes on. But the bigger picture here is that he’s not just waiting for his turn to throw.
He’s engaged in the offense-every snap, every fake, every detail.
That’s the kind of buy-in that elevates a quarterback from a talented passer to a true leader of an offense. And if Williams continues to master the little things, the Bears’ ground game-and their offense as a whole-will keep rolling.