The Bears surprisingly stand atop the NFC following the Panthers’ upset win over the Rams on Sunday, but head coach Ben Johnson is far from satisfied. Don’t be fooled by Johnson taking his shirt off in the locker room to celebrate their big win over the defending champion Eagles—he still knows his team has a long way to go.
In particular, Johnson talked about the need for the passing game to improve on Monday. “Everybody has a role to play to get this pass game cleaned up,” Johnson said to reporters. “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.”
While quarterback Caleb Williams is the young face of the Bears, it’s been the run game that’s carried the Bears offense as of late. Chicago’s rushing attack currently is averaging 153.8 yards per game, second in the NFL. That along with an opportunistic defense has allowed the Bears to capitalize on weaker opponents (or units in the case of the Eagles offense).
As for Williams, Johnson noted that his completion percentage is an area they “are certainly talking about.” Williams has completed just 58.1% of his passes this season, which ranks 31st in the league. Before the season, he set a goal for himself to complete 70% of his passes. Not only has he fallen short of that, he’s well below the league average.
“We gotta fundamentally be correct,” Johnson added. “The primary receiver, when he’s open, we’ve got to make sure we hit him. And then, all of our pass catchers, we just harped on it today, we need to be more disciplined in our route detail. It’s not where it needs to be. Our depth’s not proper all the time. Our steps [aren’t].”
Johnson did also acknowledge he’s seen growth from Williams, particularly when it comes to leading the offense. “What you don’t see is how smooth that operation was on Friday,” Johnson said. “I thought that was one of the better jobs he’s done getting the play call, getting out of the huddle.”
Along with getting more comfortable at operating Johnson’s complicated offense, Williams has taken notable steps forward in other areas of his game. After taking 68 sacks a year ago—most in the NFL—he’s only taken 19 through 12 games this year. He’s helping the Bears win the types of games they would have lost a season ago. Still, there’s plenty of room for Williams to improve—as expected in Johnson’s system—and he and the passing game will need to show that growth soon for the Bears to have a shot at a deep playoff run.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Ben Johnson Had Blunt Message to Offense About Bears' Passing Attack Amid Win Streak.
