Developing a quarterback isn't easy. If it were, many head coaches wouldn't have been fired after drafting one they liked. It is incredibly difficult to accomplish. The Chicago Bears know this better than any team in recent memory. Since 1999, they have drafted five quarterbacks in the 1st round. Four ended up being disappointments (Rex Grossman, Mitch Trubisky, Justin Fields) or outright busts (Cade McNown). Caleb Williams is the latest of the bunch and already has the media crosshairs on him after what many felt was an awful rookie season. It wasn't, but the fact remains he must improve. That is why the Bears hired Ben Johnson as the new head coach.
Part of his process in helping Williams is by doing something many coaches don't bother with: setting a statistical goal. No, it isn't a set number of yards or touchdowns or as few interceptions as possible. It is far simpler. Johnson wants Williams to aim for a 70% completion percentage. To him, this is the best indicator of an efficient quarterback. So far, Williams hasn't gotten there in training camp.
"I don't have the exact number but we've been underneath that bar, which, that happens," Johnson said. "We're learning; we're growing.
"I think, early on, we were probably 55 (percent). It's gotten better as camp has gone on but we haven't hit that threshold as often as we would like."
Does this mean it's time to panic?
Not at all. Adam Hoge of CHGO has kept track of this metric since Johnson first mentioned it. Something noteworthy has taken place over the past week.
The good news is that Williams is still having his best week of practice. After accounting for drops, throwaways and defensive penalties, I have his adjusted completion percentage above 80 percent in all three practices this week.
Ben Johnson used simple math to help his quarterback understand.
Yes, big plays are fun and exciting. They can often prove to be turning points in a game or season. However, they're also extremely hard to come by in the NFL. Defenses are way too smart and talented at this level to allow them often. Williams lived off of them in college because they were easy to get. He never quite grasped that such opportunities are limited at this level. Ben Johnson uses simple math to illustrate that winning in the NFL comes through attrition. Stringing completions together is a great way to wear defenses down. Once fatigue starts setting in, mistakes increase. That is when the big plays become possible. It's not a coincidence that the best quarterbacks in the league often hover between a 68-70% completion percentage. If Williams fancies becoming one of them, he must start operating how they do. It seems he finally understands that.
