The Chicago Bears took their fans on a rollercoaster ride in the form of Sunday's 19-17 comeback victory over the Minnesota Vikings. All recent momentum looked to be in jeopardy until a last-minute 61-yard kickoff return from veteran returner Devin Duvernay put the Bears in a good enough position for kicker Cairo Santos to nail the 48-yard game-winning field goal as time expired.
Although certain Bears, like Duvernay, impressed in the team's latest win, others failed to leave a positive impression, including quarterback Caleb Williams. The second-year signal-caller's decision-making came into question throughout the game, whether he was holding onto the ball for too long or sending passes right over wideout DJ Moore's head (h/t @firstroundmock).
Naturally, head coach Ben Johnson was asked about his QB1's performance following the win, and it didn't sound like he was all that impressed.
Bears HC Ben Johnson Isn't Loving Caleb Williams' Latest Performance
"Hard to say I gotta look at the tape," Johnson replied when asked about Williams' Week 11 play (h/t @CHGO_Bears). Had the Bears' head coach been impressed by the ex-USC Trojan's performance, chances are Johnson would've shared his praises immediately. Instead, he has to go back and watch some tape, making it clear that he'll be trying to find out ways for Williams to improve.
Once the dust settled, Williams finished a season-worst 50.0% completion rate (16-of-32) for 193 passing yards (second-fewest of 2025) and a 68.9 passer rating without a touchdown or interception. His 58.3 Pro Football Focus passing grade is also his worst effort of the year, and his average depth of target (11.4) further illustrates his issues overthrowing the ball.
In other words, Johnson has every right to be unimpressed with how Williams looked against the Vikings, especially when he had more yards (210), a better completion rate (60.0%), and a TD pass against the NFC North rival in Week 1. Yes, this week's contest was in enemy territory, but that doesn't excuse how Williams should be performing better against a familiar opponent — especially when every win counts in an uber-close divisional race.
Johnson has openly discussed his disappointments in Williams before, leaving time to tell if the Bears' franchise gunslinger will learn from his latest outing. Chicago fans know just how good the 23-year-old passer is when he's on his game; the issue is that those performances don't consistently pop up. Instead, he'll follow up a strong effort with one similar to what he displayed on Sunday.
If the Bears want to cement themselves among the NFC's top threats, Williams can't afford to replicate his latest performance down the stretch. All but one of Chicago's seven remaining opponents have above-.500 records, with three of those games against the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers. If Williams' bad habits emerge at the worst time, it'll be lights out in the Windy City.
Let's hope that Johnson's tape analysis leads to a solution for Williams' problems before they worsen.