Head coach Ben Johnson loved the progress quarterback Caleb Williams made last season. Many of the issues that had plagued him as a rookie had been ironed out. His footwork was better. His pocket presence was better. The process at the line of scrimmage was better. It wasn’t perfect, but it was pointed in the right direction. However, there was one lingering issue that stuck in Johnson’s craw. Dan Wiederer of The Athletic reported that the head coach couldn’t get over the fact that the Bears only completed 40% of their passing attempts outside the pocket.
Having that with a quarterback who is widely revered for his scrambling ability is unacceptable. Something was clearly wrong with the operation, and Johnson aimed to spend the summer fixing it. Things started with the obvious points. Williams had to be better with his communication and at putting the ball where his receivers had a shot. Conversely, the coaches have been on the receivers about showing more urgency to get back to the ball when Williams scrambles. Still, that alone wasn’t enough for Johnson. He needed an example, and there was none better than a certain quarterback who used to play up north.
Ben Johnson utilized Aaron Rodgers film to illustrate what he wanted.
As sacrilegious as this might sound to devout Bears fans, Johnson was equipped inside Halas Hall this offseason with Green Bay Packers highlights as a teach tape. That’s nothing new around the league with peak Aaron Rodgers, a four-time league MVP, propped up as a maestro with elite ability to orchestrate an entire offense through an extended play.
The Packers’ archived videos speak for themselves.
“They were very defined with what they were doing,” Johnson says. “You could tell they coached it. You could tell Aaron really believed this was a big play waiting to happen — whether it’s a throw down the field or whether it’s a chance for (defensive pass interference). And all their guys reacted that way.”
Johnson knew exactly which button to push.
Facts are facts. Rodgers is public enemy #1 in Chicago and probably will be for many years to come. He tortured this fanbase for far too long. Just the idea of his game film being used as teach tape feels wrong somehow. Greasy. However, Johnson is not the type of coach to get hung up on things like that. He is interested in results, not petty squabbles. He hates Rodgers, too. What better way to sully his legacy than by using his greatness to make the Bears a better football team?
Besides, it isn’t an accident that Ben Johnson chose the former Packers legend. There are plenty of quarterbacks who have been great at scramble drills. Josh Allen is one. Patrick Mahomes is another. You could go back to John Elway and Fran Tarkenton if you want. Why Rodgers? That is because he was Williams’ favorite player growing up. The Bears’ quarterback modeled his own game after him. If you want to get his attention when coaching, tell him, “This is how Rodgers did it.”
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Rodgers certainly knew one thing.
He understood the balance between staying in the pocket and using his legs to improvise. It never felt like he leaned too heavily on the latter. This is a common problem more mobile quarterbacks face. They were so good at evading pressure with their speed that it became second nature to do so when pressure set in. Williams is no different. It is what made him great. The problem is you can’t get away with that in the NFL as much. Guys are way too fast and disciplined. Play with a pocket mentality and only leave when it’s clear there are no options available.
If you go back and watch Rodgers, you’ll probably see his scrambles were more about the coverage than the pressure. He scrambled to give his receivers time to find openings. Otherwise, he used his footwork to navigate the pocket and avoid pressure. It is why he was so maddening to defend. Williams is more than capable of playing the same way. Ben Johnson is counting on that.
