Facts are facts. The Chicago Bears’ recent history of failure can be traced back to one inescapable reality: their offense has sucked. Since 1993, the end of the successful Mike Ditka era, the Bears have produced a top 10 offense exactly three times, a span of 31 years. It is not a coincidence that the team has only made the playoffs six times. Almost all of those times were sparked by excellent defenses. This stark reality is the reason the Bears hired Ben Johnson as their next head coach.
His time in Detroit proved he is one of the league’s top offensive minds. He revived Jared Goff’s career, built a dominant ground game, and turned the Lions into contenders. Now he inherits a Bears offense that seems high on talent but low on direction. How much can Johnson improve them this year? Jeff Hughes of Da Bears Blog asked sources around the league for an answer. One personnel executive didn’t shrink from the question. He made it clear that if Caleb Williams is worth anything as a quarterback, this season will be huge for Chicago.
Pro Personnel Assistant: “8th. I think Ben is that good a coach. If they don’t jump at least 20 spots, it’ll be on the quarterback.”
The Chicago Bears gave Williams what he wanted.
He got the wide receiver he coveted when they took Rome Odunze 9th overall last year. This year, they hired Johnson and threw a ton of money into upgrading the offensive line. Then, just for good measure, they drafted a playmaking tight end in the 1st round. Williams, on paper, has the best supporting cast any Bears quarterback has enjoyed in over a decade. This situation is even better since Johnson looks like a clear upgrade over Marc Trestman. The personnel exec is correct. If the offense doesn’t take a sizable jump this year, it will be hard not to blame the quarterback. Williams’ talent is undeniable. However, he still has much to learn about playing the position as a professional. Faster processing. Fewer sacks. Johnson can help with that, but it still falls on Williams to take the step.
