Bears' Ben Johnson 'Encouraged' by Caleb Williams vs. Lions, Saw 'Tremendous Growth'

The Chicago Bears don't have a lot to feel great about after an 0-2 start to the season, but head coach Ben Johnson did see some growth in quarterback Caleb Williams from the loss to the Minnesota Vikings to the loss to the Detroit Lions.

"I did see significant growth," Johnson told reporters Monday. "It's not perfect yet. There's still a number of plays where our eyes aren't quite in the right position or we're holding onto the ball just a tick longer than what we're coaching. But I did see tremendous growth in terms of going through the progression. 

"There were a few times there where we had to get to number three or four in the read and he was trusting his feet and his footwork and was able to get there. I did think he got better from Week 1 to Week 2. I'm encouraged by what I saw and I'm hopeful that we'll continue to see another leap here this week."

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While Williams threw an interception in Sunday's 52-21 loss to the Lions, he was far from the biggest issue for the Bears. The defense was nowhere to be found as the Detroit offense did whatever it wanted and surely enjoyed handing its former offensive coordinator a head-to-head loss.

Yet Williams was largely to blame for the Week 1 loss to the Vikings.

Chicago was ahead by 11 points heading into the fourth quarter of the season opener but failed to put the game away despite numerous opportunities. Williams missed multiple wide-open throws, one of which came on a critical fourth down and another of which could have gone for a touchdown to DJ Moore.

He looked rushed at times and may have been more focused on not taking sacks than waiting for routes to develop and going through his progressions.

That Johnson saw growth in those areas in the second game is encouraging for the Bears, especially since his ability to get the best out of Williams in the coming years will ultimately determine how successful the coach-quarterback pairing will be in the Windy City.

▶️ Full Vikings-Bears Recap

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Williams' ability to live up to the sky-high expectations that came with being the No. 1 pick of the 2024 NFL draft is far more important than the final record in what will likely be a disappointing 2025 season. Johnson is an offensive-minded coach who is well regarded for his play-calling and found plenty of success in Detroit.

He will be directly involved in the USC product's on-field development throughout his tenure, and stacking encouraging growth will be key.

At least there was some of that even in defeat against the Lions.