The Chicago Bears will be focused on getting new franchise quarterback Caleb Williams up to speed as they enter a critical offseason. Their new head coach, now former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, seems more than willing to do so. He’s planning to have an influence on Williams’ mechanics. This overall strategy helps minimize the rookie quarterback’s first-year struggles. Consequentially, he threw for a dismal completion percentage of 62.5%, which ranked him 31st out of all qualified quarterbacks.
Williams dealt with his own share of adversity as well in his rookie season, most notably finishing the year by taking a league-high 68 sacks. The Bears are hellbent on making Jay Cutler a distant memory after last year’s 5-12 disaster. Johnson understands that shoring up Williams’ fundamentals is the key to ensuring his long-term success. Williams’ coach noted though that Williams has mostly played a shotgun QB since high school and college. He made it clear how vital it is to expand Williams’ comfort level by incorporating more under-center runs into his repertoire.
“He’s been predominantly a shotgun quarterback for most of his high school and college career, and so he’s very comfortable there. We’re going to work to see the comfort level under center and how much of that applies.” – Ben Johnson
That’s largely a foreign concept for Detroit, which has found plenty of success with a run-heavy, under-center offense during Johnson’s tenure. They ranked first in yards per play (6.3) and second in EPA per play (0.12) while operating under center from 2022 to 2024. Coaching tendencies Last season, the Lions brought their quarterback under center for 49.9% of their plays, the highest mark in the league. In 2023, that figure jumped to 56.2%, a five-year high for any team.
The adjustment from a mostly shotgun-based offense with designed runs and RPOs to an attack that features more under-center plays will be huge for Williams. Johnson made it clear that he intends to focus on metrics that lead to quarterback success and success on offense. Instead, he focuses on EPA/play, not passer rating or yards gained. That means including turnovers and takeaways when measuring quarterback efficiency.
“I don’t know if there’s any undoing, but there are some things that we’re going to encourage that he looks to do a little bit differently.” – Ben Johnson
In addition to working on Williams’ mechanics, Johnson aims to instill a new scheme and expectations during the offseason program. The Bears announced the signing of veteran quarterback Case Keenum. He should prove to be a great mentor for Williams as he makes this transition.
Johnson’s wealth of experience guided the Lions to one of the most high-powered offenses in the league. Now, the Bears hope to see similar results with Williams under center. Goff took a huge leap forwards in all parts of his game during his first year with the Lions. His production absolutely skyrocketed the moment he started getting snaps from under center. Goff’s QBR increased from 63 to 73, his completion percentage rose from 67% to 72%, and his yards per attempt surged by 2.1. Goff’s sack percentage fell by 2%, which shows the overall value of having an under-center offense that works.
Chicago’s offensive line struggled significantly last season, contributing to Williams’ sack woes. The Bears ranked 30th in play-action rate at just 18.5%, while the Lions led the league with a rate of 36.1%. The Bears missed play-action, and the Bears plan to use it a lot more. They’ll put the young quarterback under-center more to help alleviate pressure and open up more lanes for success.
Ryan Poles, the Bears’ general manager, expressed confidence in Johnson’s approach and its potential impact on Williams. He said getting someone like Johnson who can push and challenge Williams will be crucial for his development.
“I think guys respond to that really well, and I think he needs that and desires that.” – Ryan Poles
As the Bears head into the 2023-24 season, their new era will be concentrated on creating a firm base for Williams. Johnson’s strategic vision equally shines through. That doesn’t mean with Keenum’s mentorship, Williams can’t transform into an impactful quarterback.
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