Ben Johnson: Caleb Williams in better place with his process, will continue taking off

Developing quarterback Caleb Williams after the top pick of the 2024 draft's rocky rookie season was seen as the top reason why Ben Johnson got hired as the Bears' head coach and the halfway point of their first season together is a good time to check in on that process.

Williams closed out the first half with one of his best games as a pro. He threw three touchdowns, including the game-winner in the final minute, and caught another in a 47-42 win over the Bengals that moved the Bears to 5-3 on the season. That matches the number of wins that Williams and the Bears managed in 2024 and head coach Ben Johnson called winning "the No. 1 thing" when asked about how Williams is progressing during his Wednesday press conference.

The quarterback's play in a Week 8 loss to the Ravens wasn't as successful, but Johnson said the overall body of work has shown the kind of growth he wants to see from Williams and that he thinks that progress is going to lead to even more over the rest of the season.

"I do think he's getting better every week," Johnson said. "There's ups, and there's downs. And some weeks are better than others, which we knew. But he's in a lot better place now with his process than he was to start the season. The week isn't necessarily smooth sailing always, but I think that's to be expected with Year 1 in a new system. So he's learning, and he's spending a lot of time at it. I'm very pleased with his approach. I think we've got the right group of guys around him to help support him. And so, I think we're going to continue to see him take off here in the second half of the season."

If Williams pulls that off, it will happen against a stiffer schedule than the one they've faced to this point in the year. Only one of the Bears' first five opponents currently has a winning record, but six of their final nine opponents are currently on the right side of the ledger and that number will go up to seven if the Vikings win in Week 10. Beating teams like that routinely is the next big step for the Bears and there will be few remaining questions about the quarterback if he does that.