Bear Digest

How Bears offense and Caleb Williams can go from good to better

Analysis: Coach Ben Johnson loves his good, better, best saying and his offense can keep moving in that direction but his QB and the preparation need fine-tuning.
Gene Chamberlain|
Caleb Williams reacts during the fourth quarter of the win over Philadelphia Friday.
Caleb Williams reacts during the fourth quarter of the win over Philadelphia Friday. | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

Caleb Williams' overall stat line has continued to slide while the Bears' success continues.

Who really cares if this happens and they're continuing to win, but eventually that can catch up with them unless they're backed by a modern-day version of the 1985 Bears defense. They're not.

They keep winning largely because their top-ranked running game and a  ball-hawking defense support Williams, who continues have his moments but lacks consistency.

Here's one theory on how he can be better: Ben Johnson needs to be better.

This is an idea certain to draw the wrath of Bears followers who have anointed him either Chicago's mayor, the Wiener King or NFL Coach of the Year, but there's a good reason for saying this. At the same time, Williams also needs to be better.

Williams' passer rating holds the key to this. He's at 88.2 for a passer rating, which is below the NFL average of 94.4 but not absolutely terrible.  He continues to throw to targets farther downfield and this causes some of the lower passer efficiency.

He's also at 88.4 in first quarters, which shows he's at least playing about his average or a little above it when games begin and the Bears are executing Johnson's game plan. He owns a passer rating of 90.4 for his first 10 attempts, more indication he is prepared and throwing effectively enough early.

What happens to Williams in the second quarter and in  his second 10 pass attempts says something about Johnson and preparation.

In second quarters, Williams' passer rating nosedives to his worst of all four quarters at an abysmal 76.6. For pass No. 11 through pass No. 20, he is at 78.2.

All of this changes coming out of the locker room and he reverts to 93.2 in third quarters and 99.7 in the fourth.

This is much different than last season when it was obviously he wasn't coached well and the offense was poor. He had a 78.8 passer rating in first quarters then and 82.7 in third quarters, both well below his overall passer rating.

This all suggests, Williams is well prepared and the game-planning by Johnson, Declan Doyle and staff is spot on to start games. In the second half, they've had opportunities to address issues at halftime and used those wisely. 

However, as they come out of the scripted 15 plays to start games, those they've rehearsed the most, Johnson's calls and Williams' ability to execute them drops dramatically.

Johnson needs to be better at calling plays off the call sheet himself after they're out of the scripted beginning. Jared Goff had a dip of eight to 10 points after the first quarter with Johnson as coordinator in his last two seasons.

They need to have Williams better prepared for those moments with the plays they've rehearsed less.

Can Williams do this? He has shown he can.

The touchdown pass to Cole Kmet Friday to put the Bears comfortably ahead in the fourth quarter was an example of a play they hadn't rehearsed much. They said as much after the game.

Johnson and staff might be walking on water in Chicago these days but they haven't  been perfect. They're going to face a defense next Sunday in Green Bay capable of shutting things down in a hurry. They held Philadelphia to 10 points.

More attention by Williams and Johnson needs to take place during the week of preparation and perhaps this second-quarter passing slide will stop.

If it was all on Williams' play, then he would have had numbers somewhat similar last year to his year but he didn't. He gradually improved then from terrible starts and usually got a little better in third quarters when his passer rating was four points higher than in first quarters.

Johnson loves the saying good, better, best. He can be better still at his job in an  attempt to make Williams best.

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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.