For the second week in a row, the Detroit Lions find themselves squaring off with another divisional opponent in the Chicago Bears. Both teams dropped their opener to the other teams in the NFC North, and each one has to be highly motivated to not lose more ground in what could very well end up being the most competitive division in the NFL this season.
We’re back this time around with Bill Zimmerman, Windy City Gridiron’s Deputy Editor, to give us some insight into what feels different about this Bears
team under Ben Johnson, where Caleb Williams stands to improve moving forward, and how much the defense would benefit from the return of Jaylon Johnson—and if he doesn’t, who on this Bears defense needs to step up in his absence?
1. A lot of sweeping conclusions in Week 1, and the criticism of Caleb Williams from the internet has been off the charts. We even saw this before the season started, in the case of Williams, something you spoke to Ty Dunne about recently.
What’s your level of concern with Williams after his performance against the Minnesota Vikings, and in which area(s) of his game are you confident in moving forward this season?
“You’re not going to ease me in, are you? I was the Captain of the Caleb Williams train. I thought he was the right move for the franchise when we were still halfway through the 2023 season. I was thrilled that he became a Chicago Bear in April of 2024. Obviously, you need to preach patience with any quarterback, and after 18 starts, there’s certainly no reason to give up on Caleb Williams, but his performance on Sunday certainly showed some concerning trends.
Williams is a crazy talented player who will make a few jaw-dropping plays every game. Because of that talent, there’s no way he will be a bust. I think his floor is that he’s a serviceable starting quarterback in the NFL. But the Bears aren’t looking for a serviceable quarterback; they are looking for their first elite quarterback in 75 years. I’m confident that Williams will continue to make some incredible off-scripted plays with both his legs and with his arms, but the concerns are growing for me.
Williams looked frantic in the pocket on Monday night. He has to play with more poise. Williams’ footwork was a mess, which caused many errant throws. His off-target rate last season was 18% and on Monday night, it was 29%. He won’t be able to grow as a quarterback if he doesn’t stop missing the easy shots. Finally, I’m certainly not an expert, but watching the tape, Williams missed several open receivers in his progressions. He got the ball out quicker, he used his dump-offs well, but many times those dump-offs were after he missed one or two (I saw even one play where it was three) open receivers.
I think Ben Johnson can be the guy to make this all work, and while nobody thought it was going to look perfect in week one, I certainly thought Williams would operate in the body of the offense better.
As for the Ty Dunne article, yes, there were several concerning things in there, but if there is a work ethic issue, that won’t be tolerated with Ben Johnson. So far into year one, there haven’t been any indications that Williams’ work ethic isn’t where it needs to be this season.
Sorry, that was a little long-winded.”
2. Lions fans are pretty familiar with the head coach of the Chicago Bears; some of them are even already claiming Detroit’s offense will never be the same after it struggled to gain a rhythm against the Green Bay Packers in Week 1.
Since Ben Johnson has taken over, what’s felt the most different about the atmosphere surrounding the team, and are you buying into the idea that something different is real and useful in leading the Bears to success long term?
“We’ve only seen the Ben Johnson offense for one game, and there are certainly things that need to be cleaned up. While fans are hopeful that Johnson can bring big things to the offense, I think fans are most excited about the intangibles with him.
The criticisms back in January were that he was a nerd who just wanted to diagram plays on a whiteboard and that he wasn’t a leader of men. That’s already been dispelled. Johnson can command a room, and the players clearly respect him. He has high expectations for players, and he is holding the locker room accountable, something that desperately needed to happen after last season.
How Johnson manages games on Sunday is ultimately going to decide whether he’s successful or not, but I think fans are confident, and honestly excited, about how his operation runs from Monday to Saturday. We will have to see how Sundays go moving forward.”
3. There’s plenty of receiving threats at Williams and Johnson’s disposal–an embarrassment of riches, as many claimed Williams was walking into the best situation a rookie quarterback could have possibly walked into last year.
Which of those pass catchers have developed some tangible chemistry with Williams, and who do you see being integral in the Bears’ success on offense in 2025?
“Last year’s offense was so disjointed that it’s hard to use last year as any sort of barometer as to what receivers had good chemistry with Williams. DJ Moore was definitely on the wrong page with Williams, Cole Kmet was rarely used as part of the offense, and Rome Odunze didn’t set the field ablaze as a rookie. Keenan Allen probably had the best success with Williams last year, but obviously, he’s no longer on the roster.
I think if I had to give you a name, I would say Odunze and Williams have the best chemistry right now. But I think Williams and Olamide Zaccheaus have been on the right page frequently during preseason, and OZ had a solid game in Week 1.
DJ Moore needs to be a bigger part of this offense. He can beat a defense in so many ways; he and Williams need to figure things out and get on the same page. If they start clicking, the offense should show significant signs of growth immediately.”
4. The interior of Chicago’s offensive line, much like Detroit’s, was completely revamped over the offseason. The Bears have seriously invested in building a formidable front to protect Williams and make room in the ground game.
What do you think this group excels at in the here and now ahead of Week 2, and what do you see being the biggest area to improve by the time these two meet again in Week 18?
“I thought the hype around the Chicago Bears’ offensive line was a little over the top in the offseason. Was it vastly improved? Absolutely. But I saw offensive line rankings that had the Bears as one of the top-5 lines in the league. I think their unit is a top-half unit and could be a top ten unit, but the offseason praise needed to slow down.
This unit is definitely a better pass blocking unit than they are a run blocking unit. They made some mistakes as a unit protecting Caleb Williams in Week 1, but overall, they were adequate in that department. Joe Thuney is an elite pass blocker, and people are really hoping third-year RT Darnell Wright really comes into his own and starts pushing to be a Pro Bowl-caliber player.
The line, as a whole, struggled with run blocking in Week 1. The run scheme looked disjointed, and D’Andre Swift didn’t have much room to run when his number was called. Now, to be fair, the Minnesota Vikings may have one of the best defensive fronts in the league, and the Bears’ struggles may have also been a result of facing an elite group.
The line needs to improve in both pass and run blocking, but the running game needs to improve up front and in overall execution to get this offense clicking better.”
5. Defensively, the Bears have a few foundational pieces, maybe no more important than cornerback Jaylon Johnson.
How much will the team stand to benefit if he returns this week against the Lions, and if he can’t go, which players on defense will be key in helping new defensive coordinator Dennis Allen get the job done on Sunday?
“Jaylon Johnson is this team’s best player. It doesn’t mean some of the other young players on the roster can’t jump him in the near future, but at present, he wears the crown. When you take arguably the only blue-chip player the Bears currently have off the field, it’s certainly going to impact the game.
If Johnson plays Sunday, he elevates the entire unit around him. But the Bears have some other key players defensively dealing with injuries. Kyler Gordon is one of the best slot corners in the league, and he missed the game in week one and didn’t practice on Wednesday. Linebacker TJ Edwards also missed week one and was limited on Wednesday. Grady Jarrett didn’t practice with a knee issue, so that’ll be something to monitor this week as well.
Third-year DT Gervon Dexter continues to improve and had an excellent game against Minnesota. He is someone to watch in the middle of this defensive line. If Gordon can’t go, the Bears will turn to Josh Blackwell and Nick McCloud to handle Nickel duties and take on the tall order of handling the likes of Amon-Ra when he’s lined up in the slot.”
