One game with Ben Johnson revealed what Matt Eberflus wasted in Caleb Williams

Week 1 was literally a tale of two halves for the Chicago Bears, punctuated by a fourth-quarter meltdown. The Ben Johnson era got off to an electrifying start, only to have the excitement erased in the same evening. But if there's any positive takeaway, it's that second-year quarterback Caleb Williams appeared to be much more comfortable, particularly with his legs.

Williams seemed to have no problem tucking the ball away and relying on his athleticism and improvisation skills to gain yards on the ground. The mindset paid dividends for Chicago, at least early, considering he capped off a flawless opening drive with a nine-yard touchdown run. This marked the 2024 No. 1 overall pick's first career rushing score, a nugget of information that presumably surprised many when they heard it.

Opportunities to flash his mobility near the end zone were few and far between for Williams as a rookie. However, it wasn't entirely because of him, let alone mostly. He was constantly in disadvantageous positions under the disastrous tutelage of Matt Eberflus, Shane Waldron and eventually Thomas Brown. Despite a gut-wrenching Monday Night Football loss to the division rival Minnesota Vikings, one game with Johnson as head coach has made a difference.

Caleb Williams scoring first rushing TD in Ben Johnson's debut is a scathing indictment of Matt Eberflus

After surveying the field, Williams called his own number for Chicago's inaugural pay dirt trip of the 2025 campaign. He reached a top speed of 20.29 miles per hour to overcome a 17.8 percent probability of crossing the plane (h/t NFL's Next Gen Stats). It wasn't a designed play call from Johnson by any stretch of the imagination. Nevertheless, seeing the former instantly scamper for six under the latter's guidance and not at all with Eberflus hardly feels like a coincidence.

Looking at the numbers will tell you that Williams not rushing for a touchdown last season was a product of Eberflus, Waldron, and Brown's shortcomings. Chicago finished tied for last with the Cleveland Browns in red zone chances per contest (2.2). In other words, the Bears not only failed to maximize the 23-year-old's physical gifts but also couldn't even leverage them before Johnson entered the picture.

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No one had more carries (81) or rushing yards (489) without a TD than Williams last season. There was a 10-attempt gap between him and the next-closest player, and he nearly doubled the second-highest yardage total (249). That quickly changed with Johnson at the helm, an encouraging development that should help Chicago in the long run, even though it didn't versus Minnesota.