Ben Johnson gives blunt assessment of Bears' passing struggles despite 9-3 record in 2025 NFL season

Ben Johnson chastises Caleb Williams despite Bears
Ben Johnson gives blunt assessment of Bears' passing struggles despite 9-3 record in 2025 NFL season

Caleb Williams cemented the Chicago Bears' first winning season since 2018 on Black Friday with a 24-15 triumph at the Philadelphia Eagles. However, his own head coach believes he has not been the primary reason for the team's success.

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During a press conference on Monday, Ben Johnson said there were issues that needed to be cleaned up in the passing game.

“We gotta fundamentally be correct. ... Everybody has a role to play to get this pass game cleaned up. It’s not where it needs to be. We’re winning in spite of our passing game, not because of it, and none of us are pleased with that right now,” said Johnson via NBC Sports' Pro Football Talk.
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Back in July, as preseason camp began, Johnson set a lofty goal for Williams: 70% of passes completed this season. A dozen games in, however, the No. 1 overall pick of 2024 sits at 58.1%, dead-last among 33 qualified quarterbacks, and has only 2,722 passing yards.

One coach who does have praise for Williams, however, is the Green Bay Packers' Matt LaFleur. During his own press conference on Monday, he likened the quarterback to a "magician":

“He’s done a great job. ... I think he’s got great quickness and speed as well. He’s a real, true dual-threat kind of guy in regard to his ability to move the sticks with his legs or make those off-schedule plays. There’s not a throw on the field he can’t make.”
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Howie Long compares Caleb Williams to John Elway

Meanwhile, current Fox analyst Howie Long had a very lofty comparison for Caleb Williams - Denver Broncos legend John Elway, given both players' mobility and their respective rough starts to their careers (Elway was 4-6 as a starter as a rookie, while Williams went 5-12, including a 10-game losing streak):

“Usually, you say with a quarterback, particularly a mobile quarterback, make him go to his left. [Williams] is as comfortable rolling to his left, flipping his hips.”
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He continued:

“A lot of times, the more talented guys are the guys who maybe work less on the details. Guys like you and me who carry a lunch pail to work…I want to look at every film... every formation I can. Caleb is starting to buy in.”

Caleb Williams and the Bears' next game will be at the Packers this coming Sunday. Kickoff is at 12 pm CT on Fox.

Chicago Bears Nation! Check out the latest Chicago Bears Schedule and dive into the Bears Depth Chart for NFL Season 2024-25.

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Edited by Andre Castillo
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