The Chicago Bears won yet again on Sunday, beating the New Orleans Saints 26-14 despite yet another middling performance from quarterback Caleb Williams. Far too often, the second-year QB simply panics on key downs, and that was the case again in Week 7 as his performance regressed.
Williams finished the game 15-of-26 (57.7%) for 172 passing yards with zero touchdowns and an ugly interception. There simply isn't a reasonable defense of this level of play, especially when you throw his two fumbles and 61.7 passer rating into the mix.
The Bears can't reach their full potential as long as Williams' errors persist, which is something that head coach Ben Johnson noted in his postgame presser.
"We’re not complementing our defense right now,” Johnson said during his press conference (h/t @CHGO_Bears). In other words, the young signal-caller isn't getting the job done and must be far better, which isn't a surprise to Chicago fans who have been riding the rollercoaster ride that is the young quarterback over the last year plus.
Bears QB Caleb Williams Must Improve After HC Ben Johnson's Comments
This isn't the first time that Johnson has alluded to William's shortcomings. There is a lot of coach speak in the fact that Williams isn't being thrown directly under the bus; however, it is easy to read between the lines and understand that the coach is less than pleased with the performance of his signal-caller on Sunday. One could even argue that it was one of the worst games of Williams' young career.
After throwing for seven TDs with an average of 238.3 passing yards in his first three games this season, Williams is only averaging 212 yards with two touchdowns (and as many interceptions) in his last trio of appearances.
Following Johnson's comments, Bears fans want to see the franchise quarterback begin taking a clear step forward, leaving little room for any lingering concerns. Even in a loaded NFC North division, Chicago has shown enough defensively to be considered a clear threat, and a turnaround from Williams could help put the team over the top.
The Bears' skill positions are loaded, and the offensive linemen are in place; the missing piece continues to be the lack of consistency from the quarterback position. Johnson's comments show an awareness of this as the franchise continues its recent hot run, one that is going to demand a far higher level of play from Williams if there is hope of it continuing down the stretch and into the NFL postseason.