Bears' Ben Johnson opens up about Caleb Williams' miscues vs. Vikings
Second-year quarterback Caleb Williams played like a work in progress under first-year head coach Ben Johnson as the Chicago Bears suffered a 27-24 loss to the rival Minnesota Vikings on Monday night.
During his media availability on Tuesday, Johnson spoke honestly about Williams' performance in the defeat.
Ben Johnson makes a big admission about Caleb Williams' play
"It was up and down," Johnson said about Williams' play against Minnesota. "We had mixed results. There were some things he did that were top-notch, and I would put him up there with some of the best in the NFL. He had a couple throws with guys in his face that he delivered on target that were very tough. ...And yet there were still some that we would like to have back. There were probably three or four of them that we counted on tape, at a minimum, that we would want back."
Specifically, ESPN's Courtney Cronin noted that Williams missed a wide-open D.J. Moore on a 4th-and-3 play at Minnesota's 24-yard line midway through the second quarter. Andy Nesbitt of Sports Illustrated pointed out that Williams later overthrew a ball intended for an open Moore when Chicago should've scored a touchdown with roughly 2:30 remaining in regulation.
According to Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic, Williams completed 13-of-16 passes in the game's opening half. However, the 23-year-old then connected on just eight of his final 19 pass attempts of the contest.
"We chatted for a while, and he’s very self-reflective on it and critical of himself," Johnson said about a conversation he had with Williams after reviewing the game film. "It’s a starting point for us, so we’ll look to get better next week."
Of course, Williams isn't responsible for the fact that Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy tallied two touchdown passes and a 14-yard rushing score in the fourth quarter of Chicago's collapse. Nevertheless, Johnson suggested everybody involved will need to be better when the Bears play at the 0-1 Detroit Lions this coming Sunday.
What wasn't an issue for the Chicago Bears against the Minnesota Vikings?
"Some good football on tape, but too much inconsistent football that popped up," Johnson added during his comments. "Effort wasn’t an issue. Those guys did a good job playing hard and competed the whole night, but the execution has got to improve, particularly there in the fourth quarter."
Texans Planning Bigger Role for Nick Chubb
Expect to see some more Nick Chubb in the Houston Texans' offense after a solid Week 1 showing.
Following Houston's season opener loss vs. the LA Rams, 9-14, Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans was still impressed by what he saw from Chubb in his debut since signing in June. In all, Chubb finished with 13 carries for 60 yards on the ground, averaging 4.6 yards a carry and leading the way in touches throughout the running back room.
And moving forward into the year, Ryans says he wants to lean on Chubb a bit more in the backfield.
"I think Chubb ran the ball really well," Ryans said in an interview with Texans Radio. "We tried to mix it up with the backs– got Woody some touches, Dameon [Pierce]– we're going to try to lean in with Chubb a little bit more."
"He deserves it. He’s shown that he continues to get better as the game went on. You saw him running stronger, finishing plays in a physical manner. So, we've got to get him going a little bit more, and I think he can really help us."
Chubb has seemingly made a super strong impression in the Texans' building since arriving on his one-year, $5 million deal in the offseason, and without Joe Mixon in the fold as he deals with a foot injury that has placed him on the Injured Reserve for at least the first four weeks of the year, the door has opened for Chubb to have some major responsibility in this scoring unit.
Chubb sits in the Texans' running back room alongside veteran Dameon Pierce, rookie Woody Marks, and team captain Dare Ogunbowale to share the workload with– certainly a group that faced a fair share of questions before the season, of just how the responsibilities would be divided in the backfield.
But, as Chubb continues to prove he's healthy from last season and the most productive guy in the room, Ryans clearly wants to get the ball in his hands in the run game while they deal with Mixon's absence– however long that may be– and bank on his physicality and consistent improvements to be a driving force in their work on the ground.
Chubb has reportedly been consistent and hard-working for the Texans dating back to training camp, has clear respect in the locker room from teammates and the coaching staff, and of course, has a proven track record in the league of being one of the better runners of the football in recent history while at his peak production.
That doesn't mean you won't see guys like Pierce, Marks, and Ogunbowale get some occasional reps their way as well, but if Ryans' comments prove true, we could very well be looking at the start of Chubb being a real bellcow in Houston.
