Bear Digest

Ben Johnson, Caleb Williams sound off on Bears' backbreaking interception vs. Ravens

Here's what the Bears' QB and head coach had to say about Caleb Williams' backbreaking fourth-quarter interception in Week 8's loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
Bryan Perez|
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Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams wasn't good in Week 8's loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

It's OK for even the most diehard Bears fan to admit that.

Williams finished the game with a 77.2 rating after completiing 25 of 38 passes for 285 yards and an interception.

And it was that interception that will ultimately define his underwhelming performance:

Bears coach Ben Johnson was asked after the game what he thought of the INT, and he admitted Williams probably could've made a better decision.

"Yeah, I didn't quite see," Johnson said. "I would have to check it out on film just one more time. Just in my mind, there might have been another option that we could have gotten to."

Williams, meanwhile, defended his decision in his post-game comments. He did, however, admit his throw was off the mark.

"Yeah, I, uh, it was a good read," Williams said. "Rome man to man with the guy that caught the pick. I just didn't give a good ball to Rome."

There were plenty of passes Williams probably wanted back after that game. He probably wishes he could have the quarterback sneak at the goalline back, too.

Johnson took accountability for that play call, saying after the game that he wished he had called something different. But Williams -- a stocky and athletic guy -- needs to find a way to put the ball in the paint at such a critical point in the game.

Alas, here we are again. Another long week of Bears quarterback talk that will be highlighted by talking heads spitting opinions laced with 'bust' and 'failure.'

At some point, it's up to Caleb Williams to silence his critics once and for all. A performance like he had against the Baltimore Ravens won't do it. Not even close.

After Week 8's performance, Williams is now on pace to throw for 3,973 yards. It's a single-season total that would set a new Bears' franchise record, but would still fall just shy of the ever elusive 4,000-yard passing mark.

Stats, however, are not the goal. Instead, the main objective for this Bears team in Year 1 under Ben Johnson is Williams' continued and steady development and improvement. Unfortunately, the Bears haven't gotten that from the 2024 first-overall pick.

Caleb Williams is a massive reason why the Chicago Bears have four wins in seven games. He's also a big reason why they have three losses.

Hopefully, Ben Johnson and the coaching staff can steady their prized QB as the calendar inches closer to November.

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Bryan Perez
BRYAN PEREZ

Bryan Perez founded and operated Bears Talk, a Chicago sports blog. Prior to that, he covered the Bears for USA Today’s Bears Wire and NBC Sports Chicago. In addition to his Chicago Bears coverage, Perez is a respected member of NFL Draft media and was a past winner of The Huddle's Mock Draft competition. Bryan's past life includes time as a Northeast scout for the CFL's Ottawa Redblacks.

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