Caleb Williams and Ben Johnson are heading into their second season together. For the Bears' quarterback to take that next step in his career, it will come down to how much he trusts his head coach.
Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears' starting offense came up empty on the team's final move-the-ball period in Thursday's joint practice against the Tennessee Titans.
The Bears' third-year quarterback wanted to hit tight end Colston Loveland, but instead, Titans safety Tony Adams intercepted the pass, ending the day for the starting unit.
Williams wanted a specific matchup but felt the offense was too far with the current down and distance after a sack earlier in the drive, which led to the mistake. Head coach Ben Johnson has called offensive plays since 2021, and Williams knows he has to listen to his head coach and play caller, follow his reads and get the ball to the right spot.
"Just trusting coach and allow him to be the magician of a play caller he is," Williams said.
The only way Williams will take another step in his second year with Johnson is if he fully trusts him every play call, every design, every explosive attempt to attack a defense. There are obvious moments wen their connection works to perfection.
This play from the Bears' joint practice against the Titans is a perfect example. The Bears lined up at Tennessee's 5-yard line and Williams is under center. Loveland went in motion from left to right and returned to help block the left edge. Williams faked the handoff to running back Roschon Johnson and then wide receiver Kalif Raymond, who went in the backfield after being lined up off the line of scrimmage on the right side of the formation. Tight end Cole Kmet is inline to the right of right tackle Darnell Wright. The veteran tight end initially block and then released up field for a wide open touchdown in the back right corner of the end zone.
Williams' back is to the defense, and he has to wait for the play to develop. It's a one-man route, so if anybody missed a block, Williams is likely being hit in the back in a real game scenario.
Those are the types of designs Johnson has in his repertoire of calling plays for the last five seasons. The Bears' head coach is obsessed with football, obsessed with winning, obsessed with the belief that his unit can become one of the most explosive offenses in the NFL.
None of that can happen if the quarterback and head coach are not on the same page.
In the preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Williams threw an incomplete pass to Loveland on first-and-20. Johnson later noted Loveland was an alert on that play, but added that if Williams can't connect with his tight end, "there's other places" to go with the football.
That level of trust doesn't form after one year. It takes time.
Johnson has been challenging Williams with his coverage recognition throughout camp, and the 24-year-old quarterback can see that area of his game developing.
"So it's just being able to process those things faster, and it's just being, like I said, faster or more comfortable with the plays, and being able to not necessarily think about the plays anymore, I'm more or less getting up there and trying to figure out what I can fix to make sure this play works or make sure this this drive works," Williams said. "And so there's times where we may have the coverage and something happens, and it's being able to adjust and find a checkdown or scramble and be positive in those ways."
The final play for Chicago's starting offense against Tennessee served as a clear reminder of where Williams and Johnson are in the process. They have made significant strides, but the offense still has work to do in order for the unit to become a finished product.
