A lot went wrong for the Chicago Bears in the season opener, but they still were in a position to win down the stretch. That's an encouraging sign going forward, but only if everybody does their job and makes the necessary adjustments, which includes the man behind the Bears' bench.
A lot has been said of head coach Ben Johnson's mismanagement of the game, and rightfully so, but he's not the only one to blame for this setback. The Bears' lack of discipline resulted in 12 penalties, and the offensive line's surrendering 23 pressures to the Minnesota Vikings meant quarterback Caleb Williams barely had time to think.
That's why Johnson talked about his young quarterback's accuracy and footwork miscues on Wednesday, citing that Williams must be much more consistent in that aspect to take a leap in his second year in the league.
"There was a lot of good that came out of it. When he was doing it properly, the ball came out on time, and I thought he was delivering accurate footballs. But it’s still not 100 percent all the time, and that’s something that we’re working through," Johnson told the media, per ESPN's Courtney Cronin.
Bears HC Ben Johnson Talks About Caleb Williams' Footwork
Bears fans have been concerned about Williams' inconsistent accuracy for some time. The 23-year-old signal-caller leads the NFL with 52 overthrown passes since last season (h/t @NFL_DovKleiman), which is 17 more than Denver Broncos QB Bo Nix, who's second on the list with 35.
Overthrows were an issue again on Monday night, as Williams' weapons averaged a league-best 4.8 yards of separation, according to NFL Next Gen Stats, yet the Bears QB continued to miss wide-open players left and right.
Williams failed to connect with wideout D.J. Moore when the Bears went for it on fourth down deep into Vikings territory in the first half. Then, he couldn't find tight end Cole Kmet in the second half on a drive that ended in a missed field goal. He knows he has to do better.
“It’s frustrating,” Williams told the media on Wednesday. “That’s something that we practice, something that we get after, and something that I’m going to keep getting after, keep correcting. Passes that I feel that I typically don’t miss in those moments.”
All in all, Williams completed 21 of 315 passes for 210 yards, one touchdown, and no interceptions. The flashes of greatness are there, and he's played for three different offensive coordinators in a little over a season, but he has to show steady signs of improvement to shut down all the outside noise once and for all.
Needless to say, Bears fans will be watching close to see if he makes those adjustments when Williams & Co. visit the Detroit Lions in Week 2.