LAKE FOREST, Ill. (670 The Score) — Ten games into the Bears’ first season with head coach Ben Johnson, their offensive identity has taken shape.
The Bears rank fourth in the NFL in total offense and eighth in scoring offensive as part of a significant turnaround from 2024 and years past. But that doesn’t mean much to this coaching staff, which is striving for even better.
After all, the Bears are searching for consistency from their offense. They see standards being met but are demanding more.
"We go out there and the expectation is starting to be matched,” Bears offensive coordinator Declan Doyle said Thursday at Halas Hall. “(But) we still have a long way to go. We really haven’t done anything yet. That’s really the mentality. We have to grow every day. If we want to get to where we think we’re capable of going, we have to keep our foot on the gas. There is no letup, there is no off day. We're trying to go 1-0 today and have a great day. And that really is going to continue to be the message to our guys."
The Bears’ offense is led by a running game that ranks second in the NFL in rushing and which is the bread and butter of Johnson’s scheme. Second-year quarterback Caleb Williams has made considerable strides this season, though Chicago’s passing offense ranks 13th overall.
Williams, who turned 24 on Tuesday, has completed 59.7% of his passes for 2,329 yards, 13 touchdowns and four interceptions in 10 starts this season.
“Speaking in quarterback terms , I don’t know if you can go 25-for-25 (passing), but I do know that you can go 1-for-1 each and every single time – 25 times,” Williams said. “Just focusing on where we’re at and focusing on being 1-(for)-1 and that’s not me saying 100%, but that’s 1-0 this week. If we focus on that and go 1-0 each week, we’ll be exactly where we want to be.”
The Bears (7-3) will host the Steelers (6-4) on Sunday at Soldier Field.
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.