Chicago Bears’ Ben Johnson challenges Caleb Williams to improve in critical area to save playoff chances

The Chicago Bears are on the doorstep of a return to the NFL Playoffs, but whether head coach Ben Johnson’s team can actually secure a postseason berth hinges largely on Caleb Williams.

There is little doubt that Williams has made major strides in his second NFL season, and first playing in Johnson’s system under the first-year head coach’s tutelage.

Through 14 weeks, Williams has guided a franchise record five comeback victories, passing for 2,908 yards with 19 touchdowns to just six interceptions, potentially surpassing his rookie total of 20 touchdown passes as early as this Sunday.

However, there are some key areas where Williams must improve if the Bears are going to finish the job, secure at least a Wild Card berth, let alone challenge the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions for the NFC North crown over the final four weeks of the season.

Chicago Bears’ Ben Johnson challenges Caleb Williams amid closing stretch

Despite all the good that Williams has done and all the progress made in his second season since being chosen No. 1 overall, out of USC, in the 2024 NFL Draft, there are still some critical areas, Johnson says he must be better.

“There’s certainly some [throws] that you can talk about each week where you feel like guys are open and we can certainly give them a ball on time and give them a chance to run after catch and all that,” Johnson recently told reporters, via ESPN. “And that’s something we’re striving 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 processes.”

The Detroit Lions were a Yards After the Catch juggernaut with Johnson as the offensive coordinator and play caller, so it’s easy to see why Johnson would envision the Bears’ offense built on similar characteristics, and perhaps even frustrated by Williams not facilitating it, yet.

Over the final month of the season, with games against the Lions, 49ers, and Vikings looming that will define the Bears’ postseason aspirations, Williams has a clear mandate from his coach … whether spoken or implied: trade the spectacular, late-breaking deep shot for the disciplined, on-time intermediate throw.

“We’re not quite there yet. We’re working diligently every day. I’ve said it every week, that you see growth in so many other areas that when that last little bit comes along, I think we’re going to be really pleased with where we are.”

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