NFL Coach Praises Bears' Ben Johnson for 'Teaching' Caleb Williams 'How to Play QB'

The Chicago Bears have thrived in their first year under head coach Ben Johnson, and some around the NFL feel that quarterback Caleb Williams has been the main beneficiary of his coaching.

The Athletic's Mike Sando spoke to a veteran play caller who praised Johnson for unlocking Williams' ability to play within the structure of the offense rather than relying on the off-script heroics he was once known for.

"The No. 1 thing that Ben Johnson is doing with Caleb is teaching him how to play quarterback," the coach said. "He is not doing anything different with his throwing motion or anything like that. What is the down and distance? If it's second-and-3, we don't need to throw the fade here."

The Bears improved to 9-3 after earning their fifth straight win by defeating the Philadelphia Eagles 24-15 on Black Friday. Williams only threw for 154 yards, a touchdown and an interception, but it was enough to earn the victory.

▶️ Full Bears-Eagles Recap

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Through 12 games, Williams has thrown for 2,722 yards, 17 touchdowns and five interceptions while sustaining 19 sacks. While those numbers seem modest, he's on pace to improve significantly from his rookie season, in which he threw for 3,541 yards, 20 touchdowns and six interceptions while being sacked a whopping 68 times.

The Bears are in sole possession of first place in the NFC North and are on track to make the playoffs for the first time since 2020, so Williams will have to continue his steady play if he hopes to lead the team to the postseason.

Chicago will try to keep its win streak alive when it meets the second-place Green Bay Packers (8-3-1) in a division matchup on Sunday.