LAKE FOREST, Ill. (670 The Score) — Bears head coach Ben Johnson is seeking more from his team’s inconsistent passing offense. That’s the message he relayed to his players Monday at Halas Hall.
But Johnson wants to be clear – that demand isn’t a reflection solely on second-year quarterback Caleb Williams. He’s challenging everyone involved with the operation to improve.
As the 24-year-old Williams navigates his first season with the Bears’ new regime, Johnson is pleased with his progress.
“He continues to get better each and every week,” Johnson said Tuesday. “I couldn’t be more pleased with how he played last week. And I know what the stats say. Throw those out the window. He’s doing a really good job managing the ballgame. That’s step No. 1 for the quarterback. So, he’s going to continue to get better. The process is really good right now with how he approaches the week, the way he’s taking to coaching, the way he’s applying the coaching. I’m very pleased with that. I think we’re going to continue to see him ascend, whether the stats tell the story or not.”
Williams has completed 58.1% of his passes for 15 touchdowns and five interceptions in 12 games this season. He’s leading a Bears offense that ranks sixth in the NFL in yards per game and eighth in scoring.
The Bears rank 15th in passing yards per game and have struggled to make that a more consistent part of their offense.
“We’re so close,” Williams said. “We’ll be hitting here soon.”
The Bears (9-3) will face the rival Packers (8-3-1) on Sunday at Lambeau Field. That represents a significant challenge for their offense and the passing game in particular.
The Packers rank fourth in total defense and sixth in pass defense. Green Bay will be the best defense that Chicago has faced this season, Johnson said.
That was on Johnson’s mind Monday when the Bears returned to Halas Hall and began their preparations for the Packers.
“Everybody's got a role to play to get this pass game cleaned up,” Johnson said Monday. “We're winning in spite of our passing game, not because of it, and none of us are pleased with that right now.
“It’s all hands on deck for us to clean up this passing game to make it more of a weapon.”
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.