![\"NFL](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/64AE67F38F4E324A8DC163F11ECEE5C5.jpg\")
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LAKE FOREST, Ill.<\/strong> – Ben Johnson was hired as the head coach of the Chicago Bears for one key reason.<\/p>\n Obviously, he\u2019s counted upon to lead the locker room, instill success and guide the team to wins with his coaching staff. But, one of the biggest reasons he was hired comes down to getting one player right: Quarterback Caleb Williams.<\/p>\n That\u2019s something the Bears hasn\u2019t been able to do consistently as a franchise \u2013 think once every other decade, maybe \u2013 but Johnson\u2019s acumen has helped usher in a new vibe around Halas Hall.<\/p>\n With the quarterback he was hired to mentor, Johnson understands the team\u2019s success correlates directly with Williams\u2019 success.\u00a0<\/p>\n “The better Caleb plays the better off we’re going to be in the long run,” Johnson said. “It’s going to take all of us here, coaches and players. It’s going to take all of us this last stretch.”<\/p>\n That\u2019s why, at the midseason point of the 2025 NFL season, Williams has shown growth in the one area he\u2019s needed to as he inches closer to being the quarterback Bears fans have always wanted and the quarterback Johnson needs to run his offense.<\/p>\n Big picture view:<\/p>\n Williams is even-keel.<\/p>\n For a quarterback who can create so many game-changing moments, he said he was calm in the final minute of a 47-42 win. How in the world he was able to stay that way is known only to him, considering he watched a two-touchdown lead turn into a one-point deficit with under a minute to go.<\/p>\n He stood tall, recognized the Bengals were in the coverage he was waiting for and turned that into a 58-yard game-winning touchdown. That\u2019s a good way to show you\u2019re trending towards playing your best football of the season.<\/p>\n That even-keel demeanor is how Williams stays, especially as he continues toward a goal of playing his best in December.<\/p>\n “I\u2019ve got to keep being consistent for these guys, day-in-and-day-out,” he said. “When it comes down to game day, just be the same guy I am in practice. From there, go out there and when it’s time to go win ball games, go win them.”<\/p>\n The Bears have been winning. That\u2019s a key part of the equation as Williams isn\u2019t where Johnson wants him to be yet, but the Bears matched last year\u2019s win total at 5-3, all the same.<\/p>\n At the midway point of the 2025 season, Williams is improving in the one aspect he needs to: he\u2019s starting to play\u00a0faster.<\/p>\n “The more reps we\u2019re getting on some of these concepts, he\u2019s understanding the intent, the coverages that we\u2019re really looking to get and if we\u2019re not getting those coverages, can we quickly get to number two, number three or even look to run with that ball?” Johnson said Monday. “It\u2019s coming along nicely.”<\/p>\n Statistically, Williams is better in the first half of this season than he was in 2024.<\/p>\n 2024 through 8 games:<\/strong> 1,665 pass yards, 9 touchdowns, 5 interceptions, 61.4 completion percentage, 83 quarterback rating.<\/p>\n 2025 through 8 games:<\/strong> 1,916 pass yards, 12 touchdowns, 4 interceptions, 61.5 completion percentage, 93.5 quarterback rating.<\/p>\n Those stats in 2025 also reflect the in-season growth, which is an area where Johnson continues to laud Williams\u2019 ability to learn from his last game on what worked and what did not work.<\/p>\n Williams wants to be more accurate. That falls in line with Johnson\u2019s preseason goal for Williams to complete 70 percent of his passes. A way to get there is for Williams to play on time with Johnson\u2019s scheme.<\/p>\n Johnson pointed to a pass late in the first half where he checked down a throw to running back Brittain Brown. The pass was off target, which is where Williams needs to be better. The pass was on time and fell within the scheme, which is an example of what Johnson wants.<\/p>\n “It that to me was what we want this quarterback to look like as he\u2019s playing within the timing and the rhythm of this offense and trusting his feet to take him through the progressions,” Johnson said Monday.<\/p>\n That\u2019s why Johnson believes Williams is on the right track.<\/p>\n “He’s in a lot better place now with his process than he was to start the season,” Johnson said. “The week isn’t necessarily smooth sailing all always, but I think that’s to be expected with year one in a new system. He’s learning and he’s spent a lot of time at it.”<\/p>\n What’s next:<\/p>\n Hidden in the Bears\u2019 10-game losing streak in 2024 was the second half of Williams\u2019 rookie season.<\/p>\n It wasn\u2019t great. It was better than the first half of the season, though.<\/p>\n 2024\u2019s final nine games:<\/strong> 1,876 pass yards, 11 touchdowns, 1 interception, 63.4 completion percentage, 92.1 quarterback rating.<\/p>\n The one thing to glean is that Williams gets better as the year goes on. That should be the expectation as the Bears continue into the back half of the 2025 season.<\/p>\n The biggest difference in 2024 and 2025 is that the Bears are winning. The Bears won three games on the road and two at home. Johnson noted his team is winning games they didn\u2019t win last year, too.<\/p>\n “We understand that we’re 5-3,” Williams said. “We understand what’s in front of us and where we want to go. We really enjoy winning, so we want to keep that going. We\u2019ve got to find ways to be the same team each week and find ways to get better from that. I think with all that you go out there and you play the game, you give your best shot.”<\/p>\n To continue that winning, Williams needs to be better. Last year was just one sample size of a season, but it\u2019s encouraging that Williams has shown the ability to improve both on the field and in the eyes of his coaches elsewhere.<\/p>\n Johnson is a straight shooter, too. He wouldn\u2019t say something if he didn\u2019t believe it.<\/p>\n That\u2019s why it\u2019s notable when he says his quarterback is in-line to grow even more in the second half of the season.<\/p>\n “I’m very pleased with his approach and I think we’ve got the right group of guys around him to help support him,” Johnson said. “I think we’re going to continue to see him take off here in the second half of the season.”<\/p>\n Bears<\/a>Sports<\/a> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"LAKE FOREST, Ill. – Ben Johnson was hired as the head coach of the Chicago Bears for one…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":360595,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5124],"tags":[10809,960,5386,1818,1232,62],"class_list":{"0":"post-360594","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-chicago","8":"tag-bears","9":"tag-chicago","10":"tag-il","11":"tag-illinois","12":"tag-nfl","13":"tag-sports"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115504731391222145","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/360594","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=360594"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/360594\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/360595"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=360594"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=360594"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=360594"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}