Skepticism remains high about the Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams partnership. The two just don’t seem like a pairing that would mesh well. Johnson is a meticulous coach who is obsessed with details. Williams is a laid-back personality who, though a hard worker, isn’t known for being stringent with the little things. He made his name as an electric freelancer born to improvise. Johnson is a methodical genius who believes every play will work if the players execute exactly as he wants them to. For that, he needs a quarterback who understands the offense and can make the necessary adjustments. He saw it work with Matthew Stafford and Jared Goff in Detroit.
Williams is not that type of player. Hence, rumors persist that Johnson will reach a breaking point before the season ends and move to Tyson Bagent. However, not everybody holds this opinion. Dianna Russini of The Athletic got in touch with multiple people around the league to get their assessments of the situation. They believe Williams still suffers from his tendency to lean on his mobility when he senses even a little pressure. That said, they also noticed something else.
He’s playing much more like a professional.
What coaches in Dallas are seeing: In moments Williams drifts outside the pocket, it starts to get ugly. Williams can be vicious on the move, but he can just as easily turn the ball over.
But they’re noticing some good, too. “We’re seeing less of that freelancing so far,” one league source said. “Williams is standing tall, trusting his line and delivering on schedule more often. Whether that’s improved protection or Johnson drilling patience into him, it’s a subtle but meaningful shift.”
I’m not here to play Pollyanna or hand Bears fans false hope — you don’t get cute when you’re staring down the possibility of 0-3. But if Williams can continue to marry his playmaking abilities with good pocket work, this might finally be the beginning of something different in Chicago.
Ben Johnson might be having the needed effect.
Experts believed that when the Bears hired him as head coach, he might be one of the few on the planet who could get Williams to embrace playing a more classic style. They might’ve been right. Despite obvious hiccups over the past two weeks, Williams looks better in the pocket than at almost any point last season. He’s learning to take the checkdowns more often and only runs when he has no other choice. That is how it should be done. The trick for Williams is finding the happy medium of learning to use his legs as a weapon in the right situations. Not just a last-second parachute out of trouble.
The real story is Ben Johnson. His influence is becoming clearer each week. He’s been on top of everything Williams does since they got together in January. No little thing goes unnoticed. Such a dedicated and relentless approach seems to be working. Williams asked for this, and it might be getting the results everybody hoped for.
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