The Chicago Bears went 11-6 last year, so this year they have been determined to make a better run. Now standing at 7-2, Bears head coach Ben Johnson is definitely happy with how things look so far this season. However, at the same time, he has the courage to put down the rose-tinted glasses and address the flaws in the team’s gameplay. In his list of things to fix, penalty is something that Johnson will not compromise on even a bit. 

“So, you mentioned now that you’re in the bye week, you’re going to take a look at things. Do you have a gut feeling about what you’re going to see from those nine games, you know, what’s good, what’s not type,” asked the host on the Bears etc. podcast. 

“Yeah, I think there I think I already know a lot of things,” Johnson did not sugarcoat what’s bothering him. “We’ve got to clean up these penalties. I know that’s going to be a huge emphasis for us here when we get back with our players, and it’s in all three phases right now. It’s erasing really positive plays or field position for us.”

Chicago has plenty of reasons to feel good heading into its bye week, having won four straight games to improve to 7-2. Still, Sunday’s narrow 27-24 victory over Tampa Bay wasn’t without its frustrations. Penalties once again proved costly, with the Bears committing nine infractions against the Buccaneers. That brought their tally during the winning streak to 40 penalties for 361 yards. Among them was a disputed holding call against D’Marco Jackson that nullified Zavion Thomas’ 91-yard kickoff return in the third quarter.

Despite establishing a two-touchdown cushion early in the game, the Bears struggled to maintain control against Tampa Bay. Turnovers and penalties repeatedly disrupted their progress, preventing them from creating a comfortable advantage.

Tampa Bay had built some momentum after Bucky Irving’s 2-yard touchdown run brought the score to 17-13 in the third quarter. Chicago looked ready to deliver an immediate response when Thomas broke loose on the kickoff return, taking the ball from his own 8 and reaching the Buccaneers’ 1-yard line. However, the excitement was short-lived. Officials spotted a holding violation by Jackson, and the resulting 10-yard penalty from the Bears’ 30 erased the spectacular return.

“I think the good teams, even when they get victories, if they don’t hit those benchmarks, then there leaves some more to be desired,” Johnson said, “and I felt that from our crew, which is a good thing. I think that’s the next evolution of this team, not just that we win but the manner in which we play. So we’ve got to continue that.”

Not just the penalties, the rushing attack also gave Johnson and the Bears sleepless nights. 

“That’s one thing I know our rushing game on offense leaves something to be desired. Certainly over the last few weeks and I I’d say it’s it’ll be interesting when I look at it. I feel like our rushing in the first half has not been quite as good as our rushing in the second half as well.”

Chicago’s ground attack looked like one of its biggest strengths early in the season. The Bears averaged 196 rushing yards per game through the first four weeks, topping 230 yards on two occasions and consistently clearing the 120-yard mark. That production, however, dropped sharply in Weeks 5-8, when they managed just 105 yards per game. 

They were held below 100 yards twice during that period but showed some improvement toward the end, recording 116 and 126 rushing yards in their last two games.

As Johnson got vocal about the team’s recurrent penalty issues and the dip in the rushing attack, Caleb Williams also found himself in Johnson’s view as someone who needs to fine-tune his play. 

Chicago Bears’ Winning Streak Doesn’t Shield Williams From Johnson’s Criticism

Even amidst their latest win against Tampa Bay, Williams’ mistakes were pronounced. 

Williams had a mixed afternoon against the Buccaneers. While he completed 22 of his 37 passes for 279 yards and two touchdowns in Chicago’s 27-24 victory, his four interceptions threatened to derail the team’s efforts. The most difficult stretch came in the second quarter, when Tampa Bay picked him off three times. Such an error-dominant performance was unexpected from the 2022 Heisman winner, who had been playing consistently well this season.

“There’s a lot of good tape for us to learn from here. You know, this is the thing about Caleb Williams is he’s never been a guy, whether it’s college or the NFL, to throw interceptions. So this is an aberration for him,” shared Johnson in an interview with ESPN Chicago. 

For Williams, the final moments of the game offered an opportunity to erase some of the frustration from an otherwise difficult outing. After throwing a career-high four interceptions, he delivered a crucial 38-yard pass to Colston Loveland to move Chicago into field-goal range. Cairo Santos took care of the rest, converting from 38 yards to hand the Bears a 27-24 victory over Tampa Bay.

But no matter how white the Bears’ canvas is, Johnson is responsible enough to call out the little stains.