Bear Digest

How Ben Johnson's altered schedule serves Caleb Williams' purpose

A change to the normal training camp routine has Ben Johnson talking to press prior to practice, and at least for the moment the alteration can have merit.
Gene Chamberlain|
Ben Johnson will hold his press briefings during camp before practice now, instead of after as the Bears had done.
Ben Johnson will hold his press briefings during camp before practice now, instead of after as the Bears had done. | Chicago Bears On SI Photo: Chicago Bears Video

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A subtle change to the Bears routine at Halas Hall training camp also shows Ben Johnson realizes the pressures on his quarterback.

Either that or it's all a coincidence, and after so many losing seasons/bad quarterbacks everyone following the Bears should know there's no such thing as coincidence.

On the eve of their report date, Johnson's press briefings with the media were moved up from post-practice to before practice, as in 8 a.m. ish.

It's possible this helps out his schedule regardless of media howling.

What it really should do is relieve some of the daily pressure on Caleb Williams. Coaches don't like answering questions about a mistake by the quarterback during scrimmage without getting the chance to review the tape.

Considering Johnson is in his first year as a head coach and Williams is in his second season and second with a new offense, there are plenty of things that can go wrong at practice they would need to address. Doing it only a few minutes afterward can produce results neither would like.

It's little different than after games, where there is instant replay in the stadium and then a cooling-off period when a coach can quickly look at a video before meeting reporters.

An example: During June 4 minicamp Johnson was asked about a play when Williams looked around and looked again and finally threw out to the flat where there was nothing but trouble. Did he get the ball out in time?

"No, he was late. He needs to get there faster," Johnson blurted.

Continual instant critique by Johnson in the media before he and Williams even see film–now that the QB is supposed to know how to watch it–is unlikely to be productive and can't help development, especially at this stage.

If mistakes keep happening, then it's another situation entirely.

The best example of this situation was third-year QB Mitchell Trubisky telling the Bears to turn off television sets in the building to block out negativity in his third season.

In the third season, everything's fair game. It’s time to grow up.

For now, letting Johnson have extra time to look over what Williams has done and comment later doesn't serve the media's excessively instantaneous news cycle but lets him address a young passer.

After a second NFL season, no one should need the protection.

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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.