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Tyson Bagent's Claim About Bears Receivers Explains Coaching Emphasis

The Bears have made it well known they are working at improving Caleb Williams' accuracy but a speedometer might explain why better than completion percentage.
Gene Chamberlain|
Tyson Bagent and Bears starter Caleb Williams recognize the reason for all of the ball placement work stressed by coaches.
Tyson Bagent and Bears starter Caleb Williams recognize the reason for all of the ball placement work stressed by coaches. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

One single statistic might indicate success for Ben Johnson's passing attack more than any other, maybe even more so than his favorite analytic of expected points added (EPA).

The stat explains all the work Caleb Williams and the other Bears quarterbacks have been doing with accuracy in mind, probably even more so than the completion percentage number Williams must raise.

It's yards after catch (YAC). It's a stat totally reflective of Johnson's offenses. They were No. 1 in Detroit in 2024 when Johnson was offensive coordinator, and top six in all three of his seasons in that role.

One observation made by backup QB Tyson Bagent explains the Bears' emphasis at practices best.

"We get a top-10 chart for miles per hour after every practice, whoever is in the top 10 in that in miles per hour," Bagent said. "It used to be that there would be a couple guys hitting 20 (mph). Now, it's almost like all 10 are in the 20 mph-plus.

"So testament to the guys they brought in. They brought in a lot of speed, drafted a lot of speed. So it's been fun and it just puts more of a stress around us to hit these guys in stride and let them do what they do after the catch."

Speed is through the roof

You want the ball in their hands in stride to utilize this speed. It's not just Zavion Thomas or Luther Burden III. It's Rome Odunze, Kalif Raymond, Jahdae Walker, Colston Loveland, right down to Kaden Davis, a former UFL player who seems to make a big play near the end of every practice.

The familiarity with the offense in Year 2 under Johnson is helping achieve their ends.

"It's being able to understand and know where the guys are gonna be," Williams said. "It's not me thinking about my footwork. It's more of me trying to put the ball in the right spot for (the receiver) and give him a runner's ball, which we always talk about.

"And so, it starts with offseason training. It starts with me knowing the offense better and I think I've done a better job with that so far. I can always be better."

Bagent described this emphasis on where the pass is finishing as relentless by coaches. It's something they couldn't focus on as much last year when the emphasis was on teaching the full offense.

"I think it's every play, even the quote-unquote breather plays, which would be like a screen for us," Bagent said. "They're still harping on the ball needs to be on the (receiver's) front pec.

"Everybody has got a landmark. We know where they're going to be. But they are not shying away from that coaching point at all. Every time that you don't hit them on the front pec on a screen or whether that be a runner's ball with people running side to side. Really, just harping on giving guys a chance to catch the ball and tuck it as fast as they can, be able to use their weapons so that we can get as much YAC as possible. And I think that with that intense coaching point and then holding us to that standard you can see all it does is make everybody better."

If the Bears are able to achieve this to an even greater extent than last year, it would be a sign of the offense elevating. They had been last in the league in 2022 and 27th in 2023 when Justin Fields was QB, but climbed to 18th when Williams arrived in the draft in 2024. Last year they were 10th in overall YAC (1,874 yards) in Johnson's first season, but sixth in yards after catch per completion (5.6).

All of this came after Matt Nagy's offenses never had them in the top 20, and they finished 26th or worse in three of his four seasons.

Emphasis goes beyond practice

Williams said he started working on where the ball was to be placed on his own, before they even started working at Halas Hall this year.

"One, it starts in the offseason, being able to work on it, being able to really be detailed about where I want to put the ball," he said. "You know, in the offseason, I may throw, you know, my limit may be 75, 80 passes, but I end up getting to 100 or 90 or whatever because it's not where I wanted the ball to be.

"And so, you know, next rep, next rep, next rep. And being able to mentally put myself in that position, being able to mentally put myself in those positions like the game's on the line, let's go make this play, let's go put the ball exactly where it needs to be. And so, just training my mental, training my mind, training everything."

It's something to watch for in games, but on Saturday against Cleveland it will be from Bagent and the other backup QBs with Williams not playing. In practice it's been apparent how all of the QBs have worked at it, as well as the receivers.

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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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