(670 The Score) The Bears have made significant progress in head coach Ben Johnson's first season in Chicago, as they stand at 9-4 and firmly in the NFC playoff picture.
Johnson also sees notable growth in second-year quarterback Caleb Williams, who has thrown for 2,908 yards, 19 touchdowns and six interceptions in 13 games while leading the way for a Chicago offense that ranks eighth in the NFL in scoring.
However, Williams’ performances have also been inconsistent at times. That was the case in the Bears’ 28-21 loss to the Packers on Sunday at Lambeau Field. Williams was 19-of-35 for 186 yards, two touchdowns and an interception on a game-deciding fourth-and-1 play in the final minute.
Williams struggled in the first half, then settled in as the Bears rallied from a 14-3 deficit in the second half. The Bears didn't have enough to get the win in the end.
As he evaluates Williams, Johnson has a glass-half-full viewpoint as he seeks to help Williams marry the basic with the brilliant.
“There’s certainly some you talk about each week where you feel guys are open and we can certainly give them the ball on time and give them a chance to run after the catch and all that, and then there’s that mix of, ‘Oh, my gosh, that’s one of the most incredible plays I’ve ever seen in my life’ type deals with him,” Johnson said Monday.
“What we’re trying to do is combine both of those worlds to where we think we’re going to have a really good quarterback in this league, a really dangerous quarterback in this league, a really dangerous offense, a really good team for a long time when we’re really able to combine both of those thought process. We’re not quite there yet. We’re working diligently every day.
“You see growth in so many other areas, I think when that last little bit comes along, we’re going to be really pleased with where we are.”
With four games remaining the regular season, Williams’ 87.2 passer rating sits below his 87.8 mark of his rookie season in 2024. He's averaging 223.7 passing yards per game, up from his 208.3 yards per game in 2024. He's one touchdown shy of the 20 he threw in his first NFL season.
For Williams, there's an inherent trust in Johnson and his development track – even when it hasn’t all seemed linear.
“I’m way more over on the process side,” Williams said. “I do understand that we need to win games. I understand that we need to complete passes and all these different things. That comes with time. It comes with reps. It comes with communication. When you start hitting on all those cylinders at the right time of the season, you start getting on the same page with your receivers throughout the years, the little, small details that y’all don’t notice out on the field, they start going away in a sense. From there, it’s just us being on the same page and being able to connect.
“That’s big for us. It’s going to be something that we’re going to keep building on this season and in years to come, but the connection and the relationship is growing. I’m really excited for that.”
The Bears (9-4) will host the Browns (3-10) on Sunday at Soldier Field.
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.