Bears’ Ben Johnson puts Caleb Williams on notice after beating Saints
When Ben Johnson took the Chicago Bears head coaching job, helping quarterback Caleb Williams find his No. 1 pick ceiling was his top prerogative. So far, the results have been mixed.
But Week 7’s matchup against the New Orleans Saints was a clear negative for Williams. The Bears came out with a 24-16 victory, but even the quarterback admitted that he didn’t play his best. After the game, Johnson revealed his exact message to Williams as he marches through the rest of the season, via Dan Wiederer of The Athletic.
“We weren’t efficient enough in the passing game,” Johnson noted. “We’ll see why that was. I was hopeful by Week 6 we would play cleaner football than that.”
“The benefit when you win,” Johnson said, “is you usually can coach a little harder. We’re always truth tellers, on Monday in particular. When it’s good, we’ll tell them when it’s good. When it’s bad, we’ll tell them what we’ve got to clean up.”
Overall, Williams completed 15-of-26 passes for 172 scoreless yards and an interception. He fumbled twice, although he didn’t lose possession on either. Still, he failed to pass the 200 yard threshold and did not throw a touchdown pass for the first time this season.
The Bears run game and defense were on fire. Chicago ran for 222 yards while the defense forced three interceptions and a fumble. However, Williams and the offense couldn’t capitalize. They’ll take a 26-14 win, but the victory could’ve been much larger had Chicago’s quarterback had a stronger game.
Not that Johnson is looking for blowout, though he probably wouldn’t mind. He just wants to see Williams play a consistent game of football over four quarters. He’ll have his next opportunity in Week 8 against the Baltimore Ravens.
Football World Mourns the Loss of 2-Time Super Bowl Champion Cowboys Linebacker
The football world mourns the loss of longtime Dallas Cowboys linebacker D.D. Lewis, who died earlier this week at 79.
Lewis, an All-American standout at Mississippi State, spent his entire 13-year career with the Cowboys. A sixth-round pick in 1968, Lewis won two Super Bowls in Dallas and remains the team’s all-time leader in postseason games played.
Lewis appeared in 27 playoff games, the most in Cowboys history and among the highest totals in NFL history.
Dallas reached seven NFC Championship Games and five Super Bowls during Lewis’s time with the Cowboys. He intercepted two passes in the Cowboys’ 1975 NFC Championship Game victory over the Los Angeles Rams.
Legendary Cowboys coach Tom Landry once called Lewis the most underappreciated player of his 29 seasons in Dallas.
“I don’t remember him saying anything like that, so when I read that after he retired, just, wow, those words blew me away,” Lewis said, according to the Cowboys’ official website’s obituary. “There was nothing more than a pat on the behind after a game from Tom, which also meant the world to me.”
Lewis, a 1967 first-team All-American, was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2001. He earned All-SEC honors twice despite the Bulldogs going 7-23 in his three seasons.
Lewis is also remembered for his famous line, “Texas Stadium has a hole in its roof so God can watch his favorite team play.”
