Skip to main content
Bear Digest

Caleb Williams and Bears Say Offense Can Be Even Better Than 59 Points

From failed fourth-down gambles to penalties, the Bears saw plenty of mistakes to correct even after 59 points, when they start getting ready to host Minnesota.
Gene Chamberlain|
Bears quarterback Caleb Williams pounds the ball for the goal line at Charlotte against the Carolina Panthers defense,
Bears quarterback Caleb Williams pounds the ball for the goal line at Charlotte against the Carolina Panthers defense, | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

In this story:

Chicago Bears

You won't hear Ben Johnson backing down from his most controversial decision on Sunday in the 59-37 win over Carolina, and he probably shouldn't after such a dominant offensive performance.

Still, fourth-and-1 at your own 21-yard line in the second quarter?

"I felt pretty good about it," Johnson told reporters in Charlotte after the game.

The quarterback sneak by Caleb Williams got stuffed and the Panthers turned it into a game-tying touchdown after the Bears had led 21-7.

In the end it didn't matter as the offense piled up 552 net yards, fourth most in franchise history, and scored the most points by any team in an NFL season opener.

It's unlikely to deter Johnson from gambling, although you'd have to expect he'd think long and hard before doing something similar at that point in a game again.

"It depends on the game, it depends on the situation," Johnson admitted. "In the moment, I felt good about it.

"You know you look back in hindsight. It doesn't work they always question the play call."

There wasn't much to seriously question because the Bears rolled to 291 yards rushing and Caleb Williams threw for 269 yards on 21 of 29 with two touchdowns. In piling up the rushing yards, the Bears came within 35 yards by Williams of having three 100-yard rushers. D'Andre Swift rolled for 124 on 18 carries with three touchdowns, Kyle Monangai for 100 on 10 carries and Williams for 65 on 10 carries.

They had 291 yards on 39 carries overall, the most they've had under Johnson and 8 yards better than the free-for-all with Cincinnati last year.

There were so many standout offensive plays or performances that the list seemed endless. Kalif Raymond had a career-high eight catches for 84 yards in his first Bears game. Cole Kmet's 22-yard TD catch was even a better reception than his fabled playoff TD catch against the Rams because he had to haul in off balance and trying to disengage from a defender.

The Bears had eight plays go for 20 yards or more, four runs and passes, and probably Monangai's 61-yard touchdown run up the middle capped them all. It expanded the lead to two touchdowns at 45-31 just as the third quarter was ending.

"It was a momentum swinger for us," Williams told reporters in Charlotte. "That's a crushing thing when you're in that situation at midfield and get a downhill run that goes for (61)."

What got them all excited was receiver Jahdae Walker blocking downfield as much as the run.

"Jahdae with three people chasing he kind of blocked all three at that point," William said. "I think that was probably my favorite play of the day."

Williams' passing was sufficient, even, gasp, consistent enough. He had the occasion ridiculous throw, like the one to Kmet in the end zone. Johnson had an inkling it might be a good game for Williams after hearing him rattle off his priorities on plays on Saturday night. Then he got real excited on a few plays thrown to Swift or Monangai.

"To seem him on a couple plays get quick to the checkdown for catch and run from our backs, that always excites me because that means he's seeing the field and he's able to anticipate where he needs to go to with the ball and he's not trying to hang on to it," Johnson said. :The throw to Cole in the end zone, he coudln't have put it in a better spot, and Cole made a heck of a catch there too.

"I mean he came out hot. I'm sure there will be a number of things we can see on tape that we need to address that we can get better at."

This is the scary part. The Bears got 59 and were unhappy with some aspects of it.

"We gotta go clean up, we gotta go be truthers," Williams said.

There were penalties, even a fumble by Luther Burden very early that led to a 7-0 deficit.

"This is gonna be kind of our worst game," Williams said. "I know points don't necessarily show that but execution, the blocking, the penalties and all these different things, so just being able to be a truther about who we are and go watch the film."

Including a failed, unnecessary fourth-down gamble. It all goes back to Johnson's desire to be the NFL's highest-scoring team.

"That must always be the goal," he said. "We want to be the highest scoring, we want to have the most wins, we want to win super bowls. That's what we want to do.

"We didn't get into this profession trying to be mediocre or average. That's every NFL team."

Sign Up For the Bears Daily Digest - OnSI’s Free Chicago Bears Newsletter

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Loading recommendations... Please wait while we load personalized content recommendations

Published
Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.

Home/News