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I'm a huge Caleb Williams fan. However, there were two outstanding QBs drafted in 2024. D. Maye is kicking ass this year. He is amazingly accurate, constantly hitting over 70% (tonight he was 24/31 for 282 yds (77.4%) with two TDs—a 126 Rating. Until Caleb becomes more accurate, teams will focus on our RBs and challenge Caleb to beat them. I hope he lights them up, but these stats from an SI.com article are concerning. We all know he needs to improve his accuracy, but I didn't realize to what extent. Ben Johnson gives brutally honest take on Caleb Williams, Bears' passing game It's an interesting article. BJ accepts some responsibility and has identified issues with everyone on offense that can be corrected to help Caleb improve his accuracy. In other words, it isn't all Caleb's fault.

A couple points: Caleb, by the eye test, is not performing that well, or at least that consistently, and yet his numbers are right there with Nix etc. Imagine how his numbers will look when he's more polished. Also, Johnson doesnt have a lot of outlet routes. Caleb isnt asked to dink and dunk - this is an aggressive offense that Caleb is learning. We see a lot more 15 and 20 yard routes across the middle, than swing passes to an outlet RB for example. I think this is why Caleb's numbers are already so good (other than completion percentage) even as he is still learning and growing. I can see where we are going, and it's gonna be like the Lions were last year. Add a pass rush to this, and we are going to be tough next year! And you know what? We're tough right now too!

I think it was: “A great OL makes bad players average, average players good, and good players great.”

you can feel it coming. i couldnt be happier!

I've only seen 3 quarters of a Broncos game. You give me season long stats which does not inform about the types of passes made. https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/2025/passing_advanced.htm Caleb has 8.4 Intended Air Yd/Att, Nix 7.6. (FWIW last is Aaron Rodgers at 5.8) Caleb has faced 110 blitzes vs. 67 for Nix. The 2nd year QB who is leading the pack is Drake Maye and I think I'm going to go watch a little more of that game.

He's a Drew Brees clone. Weak arm, good release, good accuracy, smart, and hard working. He absolutely can not perform Caleb's greatest trait of driving balls in the deep middle. Honestly, that separates Caleb from everyone in his class except Drake Maye. Drew Brees made his bones throwing balls into the intermediate zones by placing a ball where his receiver could catch and run.

Interestingly, he and Caleb’s stats are pretty close, if not nearly identical, up to this point—even in rushing yards. I couldn’t help but notice that in the last game against Philly, it appeared Johnson leaned more toward a West Coast offense while still utilizing outside/inside zone blocking for the run game. Both Swift and Monangai eclipsed 100 rushing yards, which I suspect is because Johnson recognizes that Williams isn’t yet ready to make “splash” plays and wants to continue developing his learning curve. Williams’ passing looked much as you described: primarily short passes, with the occasional longer attempt when available (like the TD to Kmet late in the game). What you observed with Nix is largely what I saw in Williams as well; the difference, in my opinion, is that Nix simply looked more polished executing it.

What was you tag line from the old site? Mine was "it all starts up front".

💯

Don’t know why this was so difficult for the Bears’ front office to see over the past twenty years. It all starts with OL.

totally agree. Also, you can see Caleb getting better each week! Where he used to make 3 errors on an incomplete pass, now he might only make 1. Unlike other young QBs who have simplified systems to learn, Caleb is getting the whole thing all at once. It means it takes him a while to choke it all down, but it also means when he masters it, he won't need to go to the 2nd level course, he will have the whole thing. And all this while showing what a winner he is in close endgames. Also, the team has progressed from balancing ont he edge of winning or losing, to balancing on the edge of being up one score or two. Thats a huge improvement. This game against Green Bay will be very telling. If we can stand tow to two with them Ill be a believer, regardless of whether we win or not. But if we can beat them in Lambeau, then it will be real. We know the roster is incomplete - the lack of a pass rush is obvious, and yet this team finds ways to win too. All I can think is how good we will be next year with added talent on the D line. I wouldnt be upset at all to see the first 2 or even 3 draft picks go to the DL. Let's Go!

This is where I'm at with Caleb. He's not a finished product yet, but, when you compare him to previous "saviors" we've drafted or brought in. His ceiling is far higher than any of these guys and he's not reached it yet. Guys like Fields, Trubiskey, et all. we were always hoping/expecting them to outperforme their ceilings and become something they just weren't capable of. We look at Caleb and we see the flashes, we see improvement, and we also see room for growth but with him I don't feel the growth we expect is beyond his reach. He had absolutely horrid coaching his rookie year, and this is year 1 in Johnson's system. That relationship is growing in real time. I personally feel more comfortable being patient with Caleb under Johnson than I have for any of our previous QB experiments. He has that clutch factor that I've not seen in a Bears QB in a long long time. When he puts it all together and cleans up some of the flaws look out. As to the topic of the thread. I am enjoying taking this in. The Bears are playing with house money now and well ahead of where I hoped or thought they'd be at this point in Ben's coaching regime. One thing's for sure he has the locker room united and his players would run through a wall for him. If this is the foundation for things to come this is a hell of a foundation. The hardest part to let go are the scars from past coaches hoping this isn't just a mirage. It does feel different. That win over Philly was very confindence inspiring. Easily their most complete game and we DOMINATED them. The game was never as close as the score indicated. The more we stack wins against better competition the more the players will believe and the more us fans will believe. Who would have thought after the 30+ point blowout at the hands of the Lions in week 2 that here in week 13 the Bears would go on to win 9 out of their next 10 games to be the #1 seed in the NFC. Not this Bears fan for sure. Nor would I have gone into watching the Eagles game thinking this is a winable game for us. Hats off to Dennis Allen. After the Detroit game I was ready to see him go. What he has done as the season has progressed and the amount of injuries he's dealt with give me the impression he can get the best out of whoever is avaliable to play. I've been pleasantly impressed with how our D has performed despite the injuries. Hats off to Poles as well. Munungai, Loveland, the work he's done re-tooling the O-Line, the fact that we are seeing depth players hold their own when called on. Like I said I feel we're playing with house money. A winning record and a playoff team was at the high end of my expectations this year. Anything above that is icing on the cake for year 1.

I know there are a lot of variables in the schedules, but it feels like anytime you can get one of the South divisions, your schedule feels a little easier. The NFC North plays the NFC South and AFC East next year, so it looks like a more favorable schedule, even with a first place schedule: NFC South (TB, CAR, ATL, NO) AFC East (NE, BUF, MIA, NYJ) NFC East (PHI or DAL) NFC West (LAR or SEA) AFC South (JAX or IND)

In other roster related news, the Vikings traded a 4th rounder for Thielen who was just released today. So they got 8 receptions and 69 yards for a 4th rounder. Ouch. Overrated GM and HC there.

In this 5-game win streak, the Bears are now 1 of 4 teams since 2000 to have a 5-game win streak where they scored +140 points, had +950 rushing yards, and +10 Takeaways. Interestingly enough, all 4 teams started the season 2-2, all made the playoffs, and PHI won it last year. 2024 PHI 14-3, 10W (Started 2-2), won SB 2019 BAL 14-2, 12W (started 2-2), lost playoff game 2012 SEA 11-5, 5W (started 2-2), won playoff game They are also 1 of 5 teams since 2000 to win 9 out of 10 with +250 Pts, +1500 Rushing Yards, and +25 Takeaways. The last team since: 2015 CAR 15-1, 14W (lost SB) 2012 SEA 11-5, 5W, won playoff game 2009 NOR 13-3, 13W, Won SB 2000 DEN 11-5, 6W, lost playoff game These teams average a 13-3 record (since most occurred before 17 games). No team had fewer than 11 wins. All strong signs that this is not a fluke.

If definitely shows the odds are off, and GB should not be favored by 6/6.5. Can GB win by a TD or more, sure, but if the teams play like they have over the last month against each other, then CHI should have a slight edge. Kraft is still #2 in targets and has missed 4 games. It is now Doubs and Jacobs. Wyatt was their best DT. It feels like there will be some running lanes inside zone.

87 Yards Rushing on 23 carries won't take you very far in the playoffs. Especially considering the weather. It is trending towards playoff games in NE and DEN, in January.

agree, we have to keep at least one of those LB's, either edmunds or edwards. with a poor DL it's imperative one is here to shore up the run defense. everyone wants to trade dj moore. i do not. this guy always finds a way to get open and usually has good hands. in truth he is probably the best offensive playmaker on this team. that is one reason our 2nd round pick was stupid. that said, other teams always find ways to pay their best players. it's time we did also. i would rather have moore than dunze or our rookie.

I’ve only been asking for it since the last Super Bowl. Finally someone did it, and look what happens. Who would have thought? 🙄

just another example where this Bears coaching staff has resuscitated a players career.

I watched most of the Broncos game curious about Bo Nix. All I could think of was he is the second coming of Jacoby Brissett. Almost everything he threw was an outlet or underneath route. Those deep intermediate throws we see from Caleb each week over LBs and between safeties non existent. Moving Safeties with his eyes …non existent. When he did get a little pressure his eyes came down very quickly. I can’t see how the Broncos short passing game wins playoff games. I think the best way to put it is that I expected to see some of the Sean Payton Drew Brees type of offense. That was old offense was nowhere to be found. I share the frustration with some of Caleb’s missed throws but IMO what he is doing on offense is much more advanced than what Nix is doing. I'm confident Ben Johnson is pushing Caleb in the right direction.

The number one thing I think I’ve learned in the last two weeks is that we have far too much money invested in our LBs. We’re getting decent production out of special teams caliber players. I realize we’re still a better team with Edwards and Edmunds on the field. In many ways scheme was simplified. We also faced Mason Rudolph and a moribund Eagles O. With better DBs returning to the field LB weaknesses can be covered up somewhat. If we have to rely on Edward’s, Hipolyte and a rookie or Sewell, Demarco Jackson I think we’ll be alright DJ Moore is the most obvious trade target to get us more cap space. Edmund’s is the most obvious cut. I have to say I believe DJ adds more value to the team. We might do both but it will depend on return for DJ. I’d like a 3rd Rd pick but maybe we can find a late 2nd Rd offer.

Moody plays hero again. This time for Washington to put the game into OT with Denver. He’s had quite the journeyman season this year .

Nope. His knee hit about a millisecond after releasing the ball. Night has been one of highlights with this amazing catch by Burks. His second career TD.

Would you say he was down? Hard to tell there since the ball is out. Good to see the youth taking over Williams, Maye, and Nix.