Following the Chicago Bears' Week 7 victory over the New Orleans Saints, there were plenty of storylines to be followed up on. One of them, though, was of the negative connotation and had to do with quarterback Caleb Williams' snap issues.
There were a good three, if not four, snaps that looked to be botched between Williams and Bears starting center Drew Dalman. Thankfully, none of those snaps were lost. However, it was the first time we had seen a notable issue with the exchange this season.
After the game, Williams took the blame upon his shoulders for those miscues. "I can take that blame," he said. It was no surprise to hear Williams shoulder the finger pointing. But, Dalman would later do exactly the same.
Dalman told the Bears media that the snap issues were "100 percent" on him and said that he was not on the correct cadence.
Drew Dalman took one on the chin for Caleb Williams after snap issues start to surface
That's the sign of veteran leadership. That's the sign of the culture changing. That's part of the Ben Johnson effect. This team is headed in the right direction thanks, mostly, due to a change in mindset and culture.
For Dalman to step out and take the blame off his quarterback is not just "doing the right thing." It goes beyond that.
Williams shouldered the blame. Then, Dalman shouldered the blame. And, in Johnson's press conference, he even talked about the self-inflicted wounds being unacceptable. He didn't think that, by Week 7, the Bears offense would have to catch up to its defense at times.
Sure, the Bears won. Sure, they are now on a four-game winning streak. Vibes are good and things genuinely feel different in Chicago. But, you cannot ignore the blatant issues like we saw in this game.
To have one botched snap isn't a huge deal. Two of them would be more of an issue.
But, three or four? That's an entirely different conversation we're having. The Bears didn't end up losing any of these as fumbles. What happens, though, if the issues continue into next week and beyond?
Read more: Caleb Williams took all the blame for Bears' woes in win over Saints
Not every week is going to end up with the Bears dodging bullets like these. It's hard to dodge just one of them, let alone a few. Johnson is absolutely correct, and with the ownership we're seeing from the players, fans should feel better going forward.