The Chicago Bears have won nine of their last 10 games and currently have the No. 1 seed in the NFC to start Week 14. Head coach Ben Johnson, however, knows there's still plenty of work to do, and he's not satisfied with the way this team has operated.
With a divisional matchup with the Green Bay Packers up next, the first-year head coach hasn't hidden the fact that quarterback Caleb Williams hasn't been perfect this season. Although Johnson didn't outright name Williams on Tuesday afternoon, he did make some comments that will surely put pressure on the second-year signal-caller.
"This might be the best defense we've seen all year," Johnson said about the Packers, per ESPN's Courtney Cronin. The Bears HC's praise for the NFC North rival's defense didn't end there, as he named Green Bay's Evan Williams and Xavier McKinney as potentially "the best safeties we have seen all year long" due to their speed (h/t @CHGO_Bears).
Caleb Williams Must Step Up His Effort vs. Packers in Week 14
Through 12 games, the former No. 1 pick is completing just 58.1% of his passes — a notable decline from last year's rate of 62.5%. Johnson would love for Williams' accuracy to improve down the stretch, especially when an ill-executed pass could be the difference between a deep playoff run and an early offseason.
Williams has the lowest completion percentage in the league despite throwing to open targets at the fourth-highest rate (50.5 percent) among all eligible quarterbacks, according to NFL researcher Tony Holzman-Escaner. The fact that he's also holding the ball longer than any other QB with at least 10 starts this season (3.1 seconds per dropback) has also frustrated Chicago fans.
He has only completed at least 60% of his passes four times this season, and he's gone five consecutive games without doing so. That spells trouble against a Packers defense that's giving up just 186.5 passing yards per game, the sixth-fewest in the league. Green Bay also knows how to clog the run lanes, meaning Williams could be forced to pass early and often.
Of course, it hasn't all been bad. Despite his accuracy issues, Williams has made some huge plays, especially down the stretch, to keep the team alive. He's got all the talent in the world, and once he sets his foot and works on his accuracy, he will probably be the deadliest gunslinger in the league.
The Bears will close out the season with three divisional matchups. They play in the most competitive division in all of football, and the margin for error is pretty close to zero, especially against the Packers' elite safeties. Johnson has already put his quarterback on notice multiple times, and while his job isn't in jeopardy right now, failing to capitalize on the early-season success or being the reason why the Bears don't go far in the playoffs could lead to some uncomfortable conversations.