First-year Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson raised eyebrows when he said earlier in the week that the first-place team has been “winning in spite of our passing game, not because of it.”
It appears Johnson realized that the comment seemed to be a harsh criticism of second-year quarterback Caleb Williams.
Ben Johnson insists he’s happy with Caleb Williams
“I think when I made that comment [Monday], it’s easy to construe it as I’m not happy with the quarterback,” Johnson said while speaking with reporters on Tuesday, per Courtney Cronin of ESPN. “That’s not the case whatsoever. He continues to get better each and every week, and I couldn’t be more pleased with how he played last week.”
According to Pro Football Reference, Williams heads into Week 14 ranked last in the NFL among qualified players with a 58.1 percent completion percentage, 18th with a 54.8 adjusted QBR, 22nd with an 88.2 passer rating and 29th with a 41.7 percent passing success rate on the season. He’s tied for 16th in the league with 17 passing touchdowns, and he tossed five interceptions over Chicago’s first 12 games. On Tuesday, Johnson indicated the only stat that matters is the one that shows the 9-3 Bears are atop the overall NFC standings.
Why Ben Johnson has been “very pleased” with Caleb Williams
“I know what the stats say,” Johnson continued. “Throw those out of the window. [Williams is] doing a really good job managing the ball game. That’s step No. 1 for the quarterback. And so, he’s going to continue to get better. The process is really good right now with how he approaches the week, the way he’s taken the coaching, the way he’s applying the coaching. I’m very pleased with that. I think we’re going to continue to see him ascend, whether the stats tell the story or not.”
This coming Sunday, the Bears will play at an 8-3-1 Green Bay Packers side that trails only Chicago in the NFC North standings. Star Packers pass-rusher Micah Parsons will likely look to harass Williams early and often during what could prove to be a massive game for both clubs.
“It might be the best defense we’ve seen all year,” Johnson said about the Packers unit, per Kevin Patra of the NFL’s website. “So, all hands on deck. It’s going to take all three phases for us here this week.”
As of Wednesday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook had the Bears as 6.5-point road underdogs against the Packers. Criticisms of Williams among analysts and some Chicago fans may grow louder if he produces a dud at Lambeau Field on the first Sunday of December.
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