One Off-Hand Comment Proved Ben Johnson Is Perfect For Caleb Williams

Ben Johnson understood the challenge and expectations that came with the head coaching job for the Chicago Bears. Yes, he was hired to turn the team around and win games. However, the primary reason was fixing Caleb Williams. The former #1 overall pick is the most talented quarterback the organization has had since Jay Cutler. He has a chance to become special. The problem is that quarterbacks are at the mercy of their surroundings. They rarely achieve their full potential if they don’t get the proper nurturing early in their careers.

Nobody argues that Johnson is a top offensive mind in the league. He proved that for three years in Detroit. The concern was he enjoyed that success with a veteran quarterback (Jared Goff). He’d never developed a guy almost from scratch before. Is he up to that challenge? One small moment during his recent press conference indicates he knows what he’s doing. During practice, Johnson was seen getting on Williams’ case after a play where it looked like he threw it to the wrong person.

That was not the case. It was something more important.

Ben Johnson shows that he knows what Williams’ problem is.

Processing speed is the decisive factor that determines the best quarterbacks. If Caleb wants to be great, he must learn how to play on time. That means learning when to move off his first read. If he hesitates too long, it will either lead to a sack or an interception because defenders are given time to react. The only way to fix the problem is by hammering it into Williams’ head, and his tendency to hold the ball while looking for the big play won’t work at this level. Ben Johnson is doing that by jumping on him every time he starts doing it. The quarterback is young. He’s allowed to learn these things. It is the head coach’s job never to let him get comfortable with cutting corners. This is everything Williams was missing last year.