It is hard to level much criticism at Ben Johnson these days. The Chicago Bears head coach took over an offense that was dead last in 2024 and has it ranked 6th with six games to play this year. That is a remarkable achievement, especially with an organization notorious for offensive ineptitude. Still, it hasn't quite been perfect. Some critics remain concerned about the development of quarterback Caleb Williams. The central point of contention is his alarming 59% completion percentage, indicating an accuracy issue that has persisted for most of the season.
Experts who have evaluated the offense since the season began have noticed one particular part of Johnson's scheme that may explain this. It is a relative lack of a quick passing game. There aren't many options for the quarterback to throw short, high-percentage passes. The criticism is that this puts too much pressure on Williams to be accurate at all times, which explains his struggles finding a rhythm early in games. Johnson was asked about this recently. He seemed unmoved.
“For some guys I’ve been around, it’s, ‘Hey, let’s just get them a couple completions on quick game. Let’s go to quick game and get the ball out of his hands quick (with) shorter throws. Get him back on track, get in a rhythm,’” Johnson said on Monday. “Each guy’s a little bit different. I don’t know that that’s the answer necessarily for Caleb. I have some thoughts on that. I do think he settled down once we got through a few of those missed ones, and he ended up making some big ones for us as well. (It’s) something we’ll continue to work through.”
Ben Johnson doesn't seem convinced Williams would benefit from such an approach.
Why? Part of it may be due to the quarterback's still somewhat erratic mechanics. His footwork remains a work in progress. Williams even admitted it got away from him multiple times last weekend against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Switching to a quick game doesn't automatically mean it will solve the underlying issue. More than that, Ben Johnson likely doesn't think a quick game is necessary because of two factors.
- The protection of the offensive line has been terrific this year
- Receivers are consistently open
Why settle for shorter completions when the opportunity is constantly there to gash defenses all day? That doesn't compute for Ben Johnson. It's not like he's asking Williams to throw constantly into tight coverage. His play calling is good enough that he knows there will be open windows. The quarterback just has to hit them. Hitting a 20-yard play is more effective in his mind than five four-yard plays. If that means sacrificing Williams' completion percentage a little, so be it. Sooner or later, his quarterback will start hitting them consistently.
