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The Danger in Ben Johnson's Complaint About Caleb Williams' Overthrow

The Bears coach explained why his QB should have thrown to a closer target on a key incompletion Saturday but there is a potential problem with that approach,
Gene Chamberlain|
Bears quarterback Caleb Williams stands on the sidelines during the second half Saturday against Cincinnati.
Bears quarterback Caleb Williams stands on the sidelines during the second half Saturday against Cincinnati. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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Chicago Bears

Ben Johnson has smoothed out a rough edge remaining from Saturday's disappointing loss at Cincinnati.

The edge was made by his postgame comment.

After the game, Johnson said he would have had Caleb Williams throw the ball elsewhere on the overthrow he made to Colston Loveland running near the 5-yard line. Williams did have a wide-open Kaden Davis slanting across the middle for what could have been a gain to eventually turn a first-and-20 situation to third-and-short or less. But he went for the touchdown and overthrew Loveland, or threw wide of the target.

However, on Tuesday at Halas Hall Johnson made a better explanation of the play and it didn't quite sound like he was throwing his QB from the bus the way it did to some in Cincinnati.

“I think it boils down to whenever it becomes third-and-20, you look back (afterward) and you say, 'how could we have not been in that situation?' " Johnson said. "That's first-and-20 right there."

Considering the down and distance, it is easier to see why Johnson wanted the sure yardage. It gave them a shot at extending the drive to go for the touchdown later.

"When (Williams) takes alerts, we call some of our receivers on route alerts," Johnson said. "Colston was an alert on that play. He's (Williams) right if he hits it. If he doesn't, then there's other places we could go with the football. He understands that thought process.

"And he's just like me. We don't want to be caught in those third-and-20 situations. And so, on first-and-20, we might just take the aggressiveness level down a notch and make sure we get back on track.”

Logical explanation

It does make sense from a game management standpoint, and Johnson continued heaping praise on his QB even if he saw this as a mistake in a game when the Bears starter was 2-for-5 for 28 yards.

“I've been pretty consistent that I'm happy with where he's at right now," Johnson said. "I love the approach that he takes coming into work every day. I love his demeanor on the field right now. There's a level of professionalism that I think radiates from him. Everything he's doing from warming up all the way until the end of practice, like there's a mission in mind, and so I appreciate that about him."

As for situational football, which is what Johnson says was the mistake made by Williams, the Bears do work at this every day. They had an extended period at this on Tuesday.

"We're going to continue to focus in on some situational work, two-minute in particular, end of half and end of game," Johnson said. "It's been a little bit of a mixed bag over the last few weeks in terms of the success of the first unit in those situations, and so that will be a big one for us."

The problems with Johnson's approach

All of this is reasonable and Johnson's explanation of why he saw it as a mistake is clear.

However, there are other situations involved beyond simply a first-and-20 situation.

First, it is preseason. If Williams wants to take the chance to score on a play where both he and Loveland had to make adjustments in a game that is meaningless, it can only be of benefit down the road when the games count in the standings. The two work out a situation between them where they could get a touchdown in a similar spot during the regular season.

Throwing a simple 5-yard pass to a receiver slanting over the middle doesn't do as much to benefit the Bears in the long run as taking the shot on a play where receiver and QB are both adjusting. It does make for an easier play-calling situation for the head coach in a preseason game. Big whup.

Besides, an incompletion on first-and-20 can easily be made up for with a shorter pass and catch-and-run on second down, to set up third-and-short.

Preseason is when the coach should let the QB take his shots.

The other factor working in all of this is Williams built his Iceman reputation on getting the big strike. While the Bears do want to see his completion percentage increase, they can't possibly want to see this happen at the cost of wiping out what was special about him. And that was the big play. You don't get the big play without taking a shot or practicing big shots when they're available.

It's a risky path for a coach to take if getting a QB to throw percentage passes smothers creativity and big-play ability.

If Williams can't take some practice shots in preseason, when can he take them?

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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.

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