Bears QB Caleb Williams Breaks Down Miss to Colston Loveland vs. Bengals

Bears quarterback Caleb Williams and the first-team offense faced a first-and-20 from the Bengals' 27-yard line after left tackle Braxton Jones was called for holding on a run play in the first quarter.

Williams saw an opportunity to hit Colston Loveland on a seam route, but his pass just missed the tight end's outstretched hands. 

It didn't work. Williams had his next pass batted down at the line of scrimmage. The Bengals blitzed on third-and-20, and Williams threw deep in the direction of wide receiver Rome Odunze, but the pass fell incomplete. The Bears' starting offense had to settle for a Cairo Santos 45-yard field goal. 

After the game, Williams said Loveland isn't typically the read on that play, but the Bengals busted the coverage, giving the Bears' quarterback an opportunity to gain a huge chunk of yardage back from the penalty. 

Williams played nine snaps in the 27-9 loss to the Bengals, completing 2 of 5 passes for 28 yards. 

Head coach Ben Johnson shared his thoughts on Williams' incomplete pass to Loveland. 

“I probably would go somewhere else with the ball on that one," Johnson said. 

Johnson's preference and Williams' decision is a good reflection of the back and fourth the head coach and quarterback need to continue working on as they enter their second season together. 

If you rewatch the play, wide receivers Rome Odunze and Kaden Davis are both open for shorter completions. Gaining any yardage on first down would give Johnson more room to work with as the play caller. Take what the defense gives you, and in this case that was at least five to six yards, making it a more manageable situation going into second down. 

[WATCH THE PLAY IN THE VIDEO BELOW]

Williams saw a chance to gain all the penalty yardage back and more after Cincinnati's busted coverage. He threw a back-shoulder pass, away from any of the Bengals defenders and in a spot only his tight end could make a play. The pass was just a little high. 

Let's play a quick hypothetical here. If that pass was completed, is anyone really second guessing the throw? Johnson did say he wanted to add more contested catch opportunities in this offense for Odunze, but that should also apply to a mismatch nightmare in Loveland. 

On the other hand, you can't blame Johnson for his straight-forward answer. There were receivers open on the play, and Williams chose to ignore them for an explosive gain downfield -- something Johnson is obsessed with in his offense. 

That first-and-20 play is a great reminder of why the preseason matters. Now Johnson and Williams can break down the play, learn from it and execute better when a similar scenario pops up in a meaningful game.