Last year was special for the Chicago Bears because they caught everyone off guard with their talent and playbook. 2026 will not be the same for them.
NFL defenses now have a full year of tape on Bears head coach Ben Johnson and his team, so they should be better prepared to defend them. One member of the media asked Johnson how he is working with quarterback Caleb Williams to prepare defenses to play against them, but Johnson had an interesting response.
"He just needs to work on executing the play at hand," Johnson said via CHGO. "There is no secret sauce to defend a guy like that."
Ben Johnson wants Caleb Williams to just focus on execution of the plays
There truly isn't a secret sauce to defend a quarterback like Williams, who can make every kind of throw in any situation. His athletic ability will always give him an edge over the defense, so Johnson is right that it's just about executing the plays.
Williams has improved at decision-making in the pocket, knowing when to throw it away to avoid a sack and keep the ball out of harm's way. For the star quarterback, it's all about doing the other small things that can elevate his game.
Accuracy is, of course, at the top of the list after just completing 58% of his passes in 2025. The Bears receivers could do a much better job in catching the ball and helping him out, but if Williams can get better in that department, this offense could be unstoppable.
Defenses will eventually figure out what the Bears do on offense, but sometimes, while execution is paramount, pure talent can offset it. Williams is just so athletic and has the perfect arm talent that it's hard to defend him, even if the coaches and players know what's coming.
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That's why the Bears need to strike a balance between making sure Williams doesn't do too much with the football and letting him just do his thing. Johnson and company can't hold Williams back from just allowing him the opportunity to let his pure talent do all the work.
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