Caleb Williams sits out preseason game, sparking debate among fans. Explore head coach Ben Johnson’s strategy behind the decision.
One of the biggest discussion points heading into the first preseason games for the Chicago Bears was whether or not the starters, specifically quarterback Caleb Williams, would play. Ben Johnson announced a few days earlier that the starters would get their work in during the joint practice with the Miami Dolphins, a few days before the game, as well as a walkthrough on game day itself, and would therefore not play in the game. While many fans and media personnel questioned the decision to hold out a second-year quarterback learning a new offense, it turns out there was a method to head coach Ben Johnson’s madness.
Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune discussed this in his 10 Thoughts article from Sunday’s game. In the article, Biggs discusses what the offense did in that walkthrough and why Johnson felt it was important.
By my count, a total of 87 plays were run. Now, they were routes on air as there were no defensive players on the field. Johnson — and all of the offensive coaches — had a script. Williams would stand next to Johnson, who would give him the play. Then, the quarterback simulated a huddle with the player (only one ran a route on each snap) and gave the play call. They’d break the huddle, go to the line of scrimmage, Williams would simulate pre-snap actions and then the play would be run.
Sometimes, Johnson just gave the play call to Williams. Other times, they’d talk for 30 to 45 seconds, going over various details of the play. Williams would have to imagine the defensive look and run the play.
Every once in a while, Johnson huddled with both players. Before one snap, he was out near the numbers where Moore was lining up. You can imagine they were talking about the nuances of the route.
They simulated about every type of pass play you can imagine from under center and shotgun. There was play action. A little bit of bootleg when Williams got on the move. They ran routes to all levels.
“We’ve got motions,” Johnson said. “We’ve got first down, second down, third down. We’re changing everything up. You talk about timing and rhythm, anticipation, being on the same page in the passing game.
“There is no substitute for real live bullets, I get that, but at the same time, when you can accumulate 70-plus reps in a day, that’s pretty good. That goes a long way in terms of where you want to go with the connection with the quarterback and his pass catchers. I wish I could do that every day with him or every other day with him, to be quite frank with you. It was a good time to do it.”
Johnson’s ability to get one-on-one coaching time with Williams is a far cry from last year, when Williams wasn’t sure how to watch game film. Will Johnson apply this same approach to the next preseason game against Buffalo? I think you may see a slight deviation, as this would be the game to get Williams and company some actual preseason action before the regular season starts. Teams rarely play anyone of significance during the preseason finales due to a shorter turnaround time, so expect to see Williams and a few of the starters get a few series.
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