Ben Johnson and Ryan Poles remain unfazed by more sloppy offense

Coach Ben Johnson doesn't see it a case of the team or Williams being down on energy level to start games.

“I don't think it's any of that," Johnson said. "We're all about – and it's not just Caleb, it's everybody, it's everybody and coaches included in all this thing. We're not pointing fingers.

"The whole thing is we’ve just got to be focused. We’ve got to be intentional. We like to talk about, if we get 70 plays in a game, those are 70 bullets for us to shoot off and we need each one to count. We can't be missing, we can't be wasting. That's the mantra that we've been talking about as coaches and the players have really taken to that. Just that awareness level that there are no breather plays in this league. Each thing is really important. The details are really important and I think it's going to add up and we'll be just fine.”

While Williams' starts have been slow, he tends to finish halves strong. He did this year year and again in the preseason finale with a two-minute drive to a TD before halftime using the shotgun.

“I think that's just where he's feels most natural," Johnson said. "I think that's over the course of high school, college and now pros, that's probably where he's accumulated the most number of snaps. So, naturally that's where he thrives. He feels pretty good being on the ball, no huddle, tempo type plays.

"He's got, a flare for the dramatic, he understands situations, he knows where he needs to break the pocket and extend and he's doing a great job right now understanding when to check the ball down and let our guys go run after the catch a little bit. I just think it's been an accumulation of reps over the course of his lifetime.”

Williams continues to take a beating for the offensive inconsistency, although at this point it's all been meaningless because it hasn't happned in a real game. The way people gang up on Williams irritates Odunze.

"I mean, it comes with the No. 1 pick I would say, and he's himself at the end of the day," Odunze said. "When you're the No. 1 pick and you're yourself, you’re going to get a lot of hate. And that, honestly, it is sad to say that, but that's just kind of how the light that we were put in."

The situation in Chicago sports also weighs in, he said.

"In Chicago sports, they're wanting success and having it now, and they expect a lot from all their sports teams," Odunze said. 'We’re in that light and you take the good with the bad. He gets a lot of hate for those reasons.

"But he comes in, he works hard every single day and he's himself. So I appreciate him for that. And I think we're gearing up for a good year.”

The offensive struggles did not come as a surprise to GM Ryan Poles, who parroted Johnson's comments from last week about Williams progressing along expected lines. Things like the pick or failing to be lined up in time in practice Tuesday didn't discourage Poles.

"There were some up and down moments, which was expected when a new system is coming in," Poles said. "It's not easy. There are no wristbands. There was some foundational work that he had to work through, as well. So, there were some growing pains that happened.

"But, I know, when I put the whole timeline together, start from when he walked on campus, from last year to this year, there's been a ton of growth there. And, I know that as we get into the game weeks and dial in, that speed of play and being efficient should increase as we go. But, I know that they loaded him up and they were really hard on him, which is going to be great for his development. And, I know that he'd rather go through that tough time in order to have success later. I think we'll build off of this and it'll be good."

In other words, drinking water through the firehose will eventually pay off for Williams and the Bears.

The question is when, because it's less than two weeks to the opener and the clock is ticking.