The Bears brought in former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson as the franchise’s new head coach in the hopes that he would help the offense and young quarterback Caleb Williams take the next step.
In his first preseason appearance on Sunday night, Williams led the Bears on a 92-yard drive that ended with a touchdown, showing that Johnson and the Bears are on the right path.
“I think it sets a tone for us as a team,” Williams said after that game, which ended in a 38-0 dismantling of the Buffalo Bills, although Buffalo didn’t play most of its starters. “I think it sets a tone for how we expect ourselves to play, go out there, perform. So yeah, it was extremely important.”
Johnson talked about what he’s been seeing from Williams lately.
“He’s really been locked in,” he said. “Anytime you’re a young player, there’s usually a couple of steps forward and one step back. And that’s really been the story of this training camp. He and I have been really open and honest about it as we’ve gone through.
“And he’s had some really good practices, and he’s had a couple where, it’s not good enough. I thought really the three days of practice we had this week and this game were the most he’s stacked up good days in a row right now. The challenge is going to be keep pushing that direction.”
For his part, Williams knows he has to keep growing.
“To a month ago, I think I’ve grown a lot,” the quarterback said. “Now, my mindset is to keep growing. It’s been my mindset since I’ve been a little child, to keep growing. Where I see myself, I think the idea is to be able to handle every single thing that I can and everything that Ben says I should be able to handle.
“If that’s handling everything at the line, handling everything and taking things off of other people’s plates, that’s what it is. Being able to do that consistently over the next couple of years is important for me.”
If the Bears’ offense can keep this momentum going into the regular season, there’s no reason they can’t be in the playoffs this season, only a year removed from a last-place finish in the NFC North.
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.