As the first and second players selected in the 2024 NFL Draft, the performances of quarterbacks Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels will forever be compared.
Daniels put together one of the most impressive rookie quarterback seasons in history, leading the Washington Commanders to their most successful season in 33 years.
Williams improved as the season unfolded but faced criticism for uneven play that contributed to the Chicago Bears’ disappointing 5-12 record.
The Bears hired offensive mastermind and former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson as their new head coach to develop Williams and improve an offense which ranked 31st in passing yards.
DAZN News examines three key areas Johnson and the Bears must address to help Williams succeed.
Offensive line improvements
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Williams shouldered much of the blame for the Bears’ offensive woes, but the performance of the Bears’ offensive line left much to be desired.
Center Coleman Shelton was one of the main culprits, costing his team dearly with sub-par performances in several games.
The unit suffered notable injuries to key players, but if general manager Ryan Poles’ comments in the preseason were to be believed, the Bears should have been well-prepared.
“This is the deepest room I've ever been a part of.” Poles said when addressing the media in August. “Obviously, you want your starting five to be healthy and ready to go, but I feel more confident in the depth of our offensive line than I ever have before.”
Unfortunately, backup offensive tackle Larry Borom and backup guard Jake Curham disproved Poles’ theory with disastrously poor performances when called upon.
By allowing Williams to be sacked 68 times, the Bears finished with the unenviable record of allowing more sacks than any other team.
With several starters set to hit free agency in 2025, Johnson, Poles and Co. must prioritise upgrading the offensive line this offseason.
Speeding up Williams’ release
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Williams held onto the ball too long in certain situations, allowing opposition pass rushers more time to beat their blockers and disrupt his timing.
Next Gen Stats record the ‘time to throw’ for each quarterback – a measurement, in seconds, of the average time elapsed between the snap and throw on every pass attempt.
Of the 43 quarterbacks ranked, Williams’ time to throw of 2.92 seconds ranked 34th. Jayden Daniels’ mark of 2.68 seconds ranked fifth.
Johnson will undoubtedly spend the offseason helping Williams speed up his release, but he must also implement an offensive scheme which allows Williams to find open targets more quickly.
Improving Williams’ pocket presence
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Johnson was the architect of a Lions offense that finished among the top five scoring units every season during Johnson’s three-year tenure with the team.
A primary reason for the Lions’ success was quarterback Jared Goff’s improved pocket presence in Johnson’s offense.
Per PFF, Goff was responsible for only 6.5% of the pressure he faced in 2024. In stark contrast, Williams was responsible for 18.7%.
Like Daniels, Williams has the athleticism to escape the pocket when plays break down, but Johnson must help his young signal-caller improve his ability to sense pressure and learn when to throw the ball away.
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