Ben Johnson gives brutally honest take on Caleb Williams, Bears' passing game

Forgive Ben Johnson if he’s not over the moon about the state of the 9-3 Chicago Bears. He just knows they have a long way to go before they’re the best version of themselves.

Among other things, he told reporters Monday that he’s not getting caught up in the Bears owning the No. 1 seed in the NFC after Friday’s win and a Los Angeles Rams loss put them atop the conference.

“Doesn't mean anything,” he said. “There's five games left. We've got a long ways to go. We have not been guaranteed a spot in the tournament yet. We have to earn that right. And the only way you can earn that right is by finding a way to win the next game. That's where our sole focus is."

Part of why he’s not getting too excited is that he knows the passing offense, in particular, needs some work.

Though he did through a dagger touchdown pass against the Eagles, Caleb Williams has continued to struggle with consistency throwing the ball. His 58.1% completion rate ranks 40th in the league (>117 dropbacks), which would mark the lowest completion percentage for a quarterback leading his team to the playoffs since Andrew Luck in 2012.

While it’s reasonable to point out some of the Bears’ issues with drops, one must also point out that Williams also ranks 32nd among NFL QBs in on-target throw percentage, according to Pro Football Reference.

So far, it hasn’t been a major issue, and Williams has made up for it with chunk plays and pushing the ball down the field, getting the most out of the passes he does complete.

But Johnson still isn’t satisfied.

"Everybody has a role to play to get this pass game cleaned up. It's not where it needs to be. We're winning in spite of our passing game, not because of it. And none of us are pleased with that,” he told reporters.

Ben Johnson was asked about Caleb Williams' completion percentage today and the pass game.

Said "It's an area we have certainly talked about." Did note that Friday was tough day to throw.

Johnson said to fix it..... "fundamentally be correct. The primary receiver when he's…
— Zack Pearson (@Zack_Pearson) December 1, 2025

Now, to be fair, Johnson hasn’t laid all the blame on Williams, noting that some of the receivers’ details, like route depth, aren’t always “proper.”

But there’s no doubt the head coach and quarterback both want to see the passing game develop into one of the game’s best sooner rather than later.

Being able to run the football down teams’ throats, as the Bears did to the Eagles last week, is essential when the weather gets colder and less favorable for throwing, which was true of this last game in Philadelphia. But good opposing defenses will eventually sell out to stop the run and force Williams to beat them with his arm for 60 minutes. In fact, the Packers will almost assuredly try to do just that on Sunday.

The Bears are playing with a certain amount of house money this season given their rapid improvement under Johnson has likely put them a year ahead of schedule. There’s no reason to think Williams won’t get better the more he works with Johnson.

For now, though, you have to play up to the increased expectations, and Williams simply needs to play more efficient ball if the Bears want a real chance to win a Super Bowl this year. As long as Johnson and Williams keep striving to perfect it, there's no reason to think it won't get better.

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