The Chicago Bears have made a big move to help Caleb Williams. The franchise hired Ben Johnson as its new head coach, who is well known for having success as the Detroit Lions’ offensive coordinator.
Johnson has played a huge role in the Lions’ transformation into a Super Bowl contender and brought the best out of Jared Goff. The Bears’ fans wanted the team to hire the Lions OC, and now that they have him, Dan Orlovsky discussed the things he has to do to have success with Williams.
Dan Orlovsky Discusses Strategy for Ben Johnson
Johnson coached the NFL‘s best-scoring offense this past season, as the Lions averaged 33.1 points per game and played an exciting brand of football. However, he has to fix many things to replicate this in Chicago.
Orlovsky, a former Lions quarterback, discussed Johnson and the Bears on ESPN’s “NFL Live.” He emphasized that the new head coach must focus on Williams’ development and teach things that Goff was able to do easily.
“Well, the No. 1 challenge for Ben Johnson, they got to get Caleb to play in rhythm and on time,” Orlovsky said. “That’s going to be a schematic thing that they have to build in. It’s also going to be his development. … They are going to have to get the offensive line in Chicago, very much so on par to at least something close to what Detroit has, because everything is built off that.”
Orlovsky mentioned that Johnson has to focus on making the Bears execute simple things on offense, which will help a young quarterback in Williams. Chicago averaged just 18.2 points per game this past season, and most of it was due to poor coaching.
"They've got to get Caleb to play in rhythm and on time."@DanOrlovsky7 reacts to the Bears hiring Ben Johnson 🐻 pic.twitter.com/H0sP2QfWwj
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) January 20, 2025
“The great thing that married Ben Johnson and Jared Goff was Jared Goff was taught by Sean McVay, the rhythm of your feet,” Orlovsky added. “That’s going to be the foundation of how Caleb is going to have to develop. Usually, [for] super talented guys, that’s not the backbone of who they are when they’re young. Can you get there? One thousand percent that’s going to be the most needed step for that relationship.”
The only thing that Williams got better at in his rookie season was avoiding playing reckless football. He threw just six interceptions in 17 games, but for him to be at his best, the Bears need the former USC star to play aggressively.
Based on how the Lions played under Johnson, Williams will have the luxury of playing unorthodox football, which he’s good at, even if it comes at the expense of some turnovers. The Bears are not a Super Bowl contender, so the quarterback has the luxury of learning from his mistakes. Johnson will make things easier for him, but in the end, the 23-year-old quarterback has to play like himself to succeed in the NFL.
Caleb Williams Could Help Johnson Become an Even Better Playcaller
As Orlovsky mentioned, Johnson will focus on improving the Bears’ offensive line. If the new head coach can provide time for Williams to throw the ball, the quarterback can take the league by storm given his talent. The Bears quarterback has been likened to Patrick Mahomes, with a creativity few players have. He is more mobile than Goff and doesn’t need everything to align perfectly to make big plays.
Having a quarterback like Williams can help Johnson to become an even better play-caller. The Bears head coach can now do things on offense that he couldn’t do with a pure passer like Goff.
READ MORE: Former NFL QB, Analysts Worried Williams Is a Terrible Fit for Johnson’s Offense
It will take time for Williams to become as reliable as Goff in the passing game, but his abilities as a dual-threat quarterback at extending plays open up many options for Johnson. However, that can only happen if the team can put a good offensive line in front of the quarterback. Williams was sacked 68 times in his rookie season, and no quarterback can succeed without time to throw the ball.
It remains to be seen whether Bears general manager Ryan Poles can provide Johnson the players he desires via the draft, free agency, or even trades to ensure Williams is protected next season.