Caleb Williams shows progress but Ben Johnson wants more

Ariana Pensy · Correspondent · 2 hours ago

CHICAGO - Quarterback Caleb Williams is becoming the player he was drafted to be. He has shown multiple times this season that he can lead the Chicago Bears to victory, especially against the New York Giants, when he put the team on his back and had a 17-yard touchdown to give Chicago the win.

Still, head coach Ben Johnson expects perfection, and there were some things he would have liked to see executed better - on the part of the players and in his own playcalling.

“He made a number of really, really good plays that we needed in the moment and there’s a handful of them that we talked about and in hindsight, you might play them a little bit different. Same thing for me as a play caller, there’s a number of calls that I probably want back,” Johnson said. “I think the more comfortable he gets within the offense and the more trust he has in his pass catchers that they’re going to be where they’re supposed to be that he’ll continue to play within the rhythm and the timing of the concepts and as we’re continuing to grow and develop that trust, there will be times where he takes off and he runs with it. I thought what he did (Sunday) in terms of evading that rush, that’s a rare quality for most quarterbacks and I don’t know many other in this league that could have done it to the extent that he did (Sunday).”

Williams had 63 total rushing yards against the Giants, his highest in a game this season and second-highest in his career. Coming out of college, this was not really his thing, particularly at USC. In his two years with the Trojans, Williams had a total of 524 rushing yards. He has already surpassed that in his time in the NFL.

While a mobile quarterback is a dangerous weapon, there are risks to using this ability frequently. Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels provides a good example. Daniels has suffered multiple injuries this season on the run.

That is not what Johnson wants for Williams, and therefore, this is not something Johnson is looking to feature every week.

“It’s something that we certainly want to utilize,” Johnson said. “It’s not something that we want to necessarily feature each and every week. But, when the opportunity presents itself, we have the ability to capitalize on it.”

With Chicago winning against New York and the Green Bay Packers losing to the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football, the Bears are now in control of their own destiny. They are technically second in the division, but are tied with the Detroit Lions for the best record in the NFC North.

However, Johnson is still focused on taking things one game at a time.

“We understand the urgency that’s at hand. We know where we are in the NFC right now,” Johnson said. “But, I think the biggest thing and the message to the team is we’re a 6-3 team right now that’s looking to get to 7-3.”

Chicago has a tough schedule for the remainder of the season. It starts with the Minnesota Vikings on Sun. Nov. 16 (Noon / FOX) who are currently last in the division. Their quarterback. J.J. McCarthy, will be playing in his fifth NFL game. He has thrown an interception in every game and has two games with multiple interceptions, making this a good opportunity for the defense to shine.

The offensive line will also be key to victory in this game and for the remainder of Chicago’s schedule. Williams has only been sacked 14 times through the first nine games of the year. The Giants failed to sack him despite having the NFL’s leading sack leader going into this game.

Johnson has been incredibly pleased with how the offensive line has performed, especially given all the resources Chicago has invested into it.

“I think offensive line play in general, it tends to get overlooked. You got a lot of ball watchers around this league as fans or even as coaches and personnel guys, you tend to overlook that, the trench play at times and so, we certainly have a great appreciation for what those guys bring to the table. We’ve invested a lot from a draft capital and a free agency standpoint of bringing those guys in. We value those guys tremendously and so, it’s good to see that pay off for us. They’re a huge part of what we do. Our offense doesn’t really go unless they’re functioning at a high level and so, really happy with where they are,” Johnson said. “I think what gets me fired up more than anything, I think of our first touchdown of the game (Sunday) where when you hit pause, you have all these blue jerseys in the same frame and we’re all pushing in the same direction. That, to me, is inspiring football.”