Bears’ Ben Johnson is giving Caleb Williams grace for ugly turnover vs. Steelers
Chicago Bears star Caleb Williams ended the team’ 31-28 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers with a passer rating of 104.3. However, one negative play sticks out like a sore thumb.
While getting sacked by TJ Watt, Williams flung the ball into the air, leading to a fumble and Steelers touchdown. It’s certainly a play that will be talked about during film study. But head coach Ben Johnson isn’t going to dwell on the Williams miscue, via the 79th and Halas podcast.
“We had a couple get away from us but I don’t know any QB that plays perfect,” Johnson said.
Williams is getting the benefit of the doubt for a number of reasons. For starters, the Bears came away with their fourth-straight win, moving to 8-3 on the season. Furthermore, Chicago’s quarterback threw for three touchdowns and no interceptions in the win, competing 19-of-35 passes for 239 yards.
The sophomore’s ability to escape the pocket has played a major role in Chicago’s growth during the 2025 season. Williams has only been sacked 17 times, tied for 24th-fewest in the league. That comes after the Bears ranked dead-last in sacks allowed with 68 in 2024.
However, Williams must also learn to control the chaos. His fumble came after another daring escape out of the pocket. But if things seem truly dire, maybe it is best to accept the loss. It’s hard to be Superman on every single play.
Still, Johnson’s work with Williams this year has been pivotal to the Bears’ success. How Chicago continues to fare in 2025 and for the foreseeable future will be determined by their connection. The duo will have one of their toughest challenges yet in Week 13 against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Lions Safety Throws 'Inexcusable' Punch After Loss
The theatrics didn't end with the buzzer in Sunday's game between the Detroit Lions and Kansas City Chiefs.
Following the final kneel-downs from Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes in a 30-17 Lions' loss, the two teams converged in a scrum near midfield. At the center of the dispute was safety Brian Branch.
On the television broadcast, replay showed that the incident started when Branch refused to acknowledge an extended hand from Mahomes. After walking past Mahomes, Branch punched Chiefs wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster.
The act of slapping Smith-Schuster caused a reaction from Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco, while Smith-Schuster raced after the Lions' defender along with several of his teammates.
Soon the two teams were converged together. It appeared that safety Kerby Joseph was in the middle of the fray attempting to pull his fellow safety out of the action. It appeared as though Branch landed at least one more punch before players on both sides were able to separate.
Because Branch appeared to have started the fight, he could be subject to league discipline such as a fine or suspension. Per the NFL rules for accountability, a first-time offense for fighting is subject to a $40,686 fine.
A fight broke out at the end of the Lions-Chiefs game.
The events that led to it:
◽️ Brian Branch refused to shake hands with Patrick Mahomes
◽️ JuJu Smith-Schuster confronted Branch
◽️ Branch slapped Smith-Schuster
🎥 @SNFonNBC | H/T @Rate_the_Refs pic.twitter.com/Ki4xjhHOMD — The Athletic (@TheAthletic) October 13, 2025
Lions coach Dan Campbell voiced his frustration with the young defender to begin his postgame press conference.
"I love Brian Branch, but what he did was inexcusable," Campbell said. "It's not gonna be accepted here. I apologize to coach (Andy) Reid and the Chiefs and Schuster. That's not okay. That's not what we do here. He knows it, our team knows it. That's not what we do."
Kansas City's Sports Radio 810 reported that Smith-Schuster was wearing a towel over his nose on the way to the locker room following the game.
The Alabama product had six total tackles, including three solos, in Sunday's loss.
After the game, Mahomes offered a comment on his vantage point of what happened in the postgame incident.
"We play the game in between the whistles. They can do all the extracurricular stuff they want to do, but we play the game in between the whistles," Mahomes said in a postgame interview with NBC. "We thought a great game today, and we'll keep this momentum moving forward.
NBC color commentator Chris Collinsworth expressed that the NFL could be inclined to take action against the third-year safety for his actions following the game.
"The league's gonna take action on that one against Branch," Collinsworth said on the broadcast.
The Chiefs held serve for much of Sunday's game as there were several players dealing with injuries. Branch was listed on the injury report throughout the week, and Joseph missed some time during the game before returning.
