(670 The Score) There wasn’t much positive to take away from the Bears’ ugly 52-21 loss to the Lions on Sunday at Ford Field, but head coach Ben Johnson saw quarterback Caleb Williams make what he felt were important strides.
In reviewing the game on tape, Johnson recognized improvement from the 23-year-old Williams in their second game together.
Williams was 19-of-30 for 207 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. It followed a rocky season opener in which Williams was 21-of-35 for 210 yards and one touchdown in a loss to the Vikings.
"I did see significant growth,” Johnson said. “It’s not perfect yet. There's still a number of plays where our eyes aren’t quite in the right position or we're holding onto the ball just a tick longer than what we’re coaching. But I did see tremendous growth in terms of going through the progression. There were a few times there where we had to get to number three or four in the read and he was trusting his feet and his footwork and was able to get there. I did think he got better from Week 1 to Week 2. I’m encouraged by what I saw, and I’m hopeful that we’ll continue to see another leap here this week."
The Bears posted 339 total yards of offense in their loss to the Lions, but it wasn't enough because of the team's abysmal defensive performance. Detroit compiled 511 yards of offense, and Chicago surrendered its most points in a game since 2014.
Despite the defensive struggles, Johnson remains confident in that unit.
"I brought in (defensive coordinator) Dennis Allen for a reason,” Johnson said. “He does a phenomenal job coaching it to not only the coaches but the players. I got a lot of faith and confidence that the experience we have on that side of the ball is going to shine through for us. We'll get this thing back cranking the way we want it to go."
The Bears (0-2) will welcome the Cowboys (1-1) to Soldier Field on Sunday, with kickoff set for 3:25 p.m. CT.
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.