Where Caleb Williams showed 'tremendous growth' in Bears' blowout loss to Lions

Ben Johnson of the Chicago Bears fell to 0-2 as a first-year head coach via this past Sunday's disheartening 52-21 loss at the rival Detroit Lions.

Nevertheless, Johnson revealed on Monday that he was encouraged by how second-year quarterback Caleb Williams performed at Detroit's Ford Field.

Caleb Williams already showing growth in Ben Johnson's offense?

"I did see significant growth," Johnson said about Williams' play against the Lions, per Ted Nguyen of The Athletic. "It’s not perfect yet. There’s still a number of plays where our eyes aren’t quite in the right position or we’re holding onto the ball just a tick longer than what we’re coaching. But I did see tremendous growth in terms of going through the progression. There were a few times there where we had to get to No. 3 or 4 in the read, and he was trusting his feet and his footwork and was able to get there."

Williams completed 8-of-19 passes in the second half of Chicago's 27-24 Week 1 loss to the rival Minnesota Vikings after he connected on 13-of-16 attempts over the first two quarters of that contest. Versus the Lions, he completed 19-of-30 total passes for 207 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. 

According to Pro Football Reference, Williams ended Week 2 of the ongoing campaign ranked 18th in the NFL among qualified players with a 57.5 adjusted QBR and 20th with an 89.1 passer rating. On Monday, Johnson indicated he expects Williams to climb up such boards after he plays against the 1-1 Dallas Cowboys at Chicago's Soldier Field this coming Sunday. 

Dallas defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus was Chicago's head coach during Williams' rookie season until Eberflus was dismissed in late November 2024. 

Caleb Williams expected to make "leap" vs. Dallas Cowboys

"I did think he got better from Week 1 to Week 2," Johnson added about Williams. "I’m encouraged by what I saw, and I’m hopeful that we’ll continue to see another leap here this week."

New York Giants quarterback Russell Wilson torched the Dallas defense for 450 passing yards this past Sunday. To compare, Wilson completed 17-of-37 passes for 168 yards in New York's Week 1 loss to the Washington Commanders back on Sept. 7. As of Tuesday morning, ESPN BET had the Bears as 1.5-point home underdogs against the Cowboys.