Caleb Williams is having a solid season. He has 13 touchdowns to just four interceptions and is on pace for one of the highest yardage totals in Chicago Bears history. However, critics have become annoyed by his seeming unwillingness to attack throwing windows more aggressively. His ball placement is often directed to spots where only his receivers have a shot, which has led to a lot of incompletions. Many have felt unnecessary just because Williams is trying to avoid turnovers. People feel he should try giving his wide receivers more opportunities to make plays. Head coach Ben Johnson was asked about this.
Undoubtedly, the assumption was he'd agree. Most coaches are aggressive by nature. One would think he's all for getting the ball to the playmakers, even if the coverage is sometimes tight. Not Johnson. He is not a believer in jump ball situations. That leaves too much up to chance. His mentality has always been that it's possible to get receivers more than open enough for the quarterback to have a good throwing window. There is no sense in forcing the ball just for the sake of doing so.
Ben Johnson hates rolling the dice.
He is a perfectionist by nature. The head coach believes that with enough preparation, film study, and brainstorming, it's possible to have a solution for any situation. If players execute their jobs on a given play, somebody will be open. Every single time. It's hard to argue that. Bears wide receivers have some of the highest separation per pass in the NFL this season. That is why he doesn't like quarterbacks scrambling a ton or throwing 50/50 balls. Coaches have no control over those situations. There are way too many variables that most break in your favor. For a mathematical brain like Ben Johnson, that is anathema.
That is why he has consistently instructed Williams to keep the ball out of harm's way. Put it in spots where only the receiver has a shot. He'd much rather take an incompletion over a turnover. At least one gives him another chance to find the right play. The other ends the drive and possibly alters the momentum of a game.
