The Chicago Bears have now clinched an NFL playoff spot. The Bears have had quite a turnaround and a very magical season, but to clinch a postseason berth, it took beating their nemesis, the Green Bay Packers. Then they needed their other biggest nemesis, Aaron Rodgers, to take down the Detroit Lions.
11-4 through 15 games
Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams have led the Bears to an 11-4 record and have held the 1st place spot in the NFC North for multiple weeks in their first year together. Many questioned whether or not Ben Johnson would be a great coach, and not just a great offensive coordinator. Many wondered if Caleb was going to be the quarterback to save the Bears’ franchise. After two very disappointing weeks and a 0-2 start to the season, Caleb Williams and Ben Johnson have made those previous doubts evaporate.
QB has his coach, coach has his QB
This is a relationship that works, and now it’s up for debate whether this is a top pairing in the league, instead of whether it will work or not. Every single decision Ben Johnson has made with this team has paid off, from the offensive success to every piece of the coaching staff.
Far cry from Matt Eberflus
The Bears a year ago had a coach who lost them at least seven games, had multiple coaching collapses, and just nothing but dysfunction brewing in his locker room. To know a coach that has one of the best postgame locker room hype speeches in the NFL. The differences between Matt Eberflus and Ben Johnson are immeasurable.
Importance of getting the right man in charge
The most important thing and reason Ben Johnson was hired was whether he could have success with Caleb. Caleb Williams is having a phenomenal year two season. All the best traits in Caleb have been exaggerated this season. Caleb was good in the clutch last season, but due to coaching, his game-winning drives still resulted in a loss. This season, Caleb has tied Peyton Manning with 6 game winning drives in a single season. Both are the only two players under 25 to do so. Caleb took 68 sacks last year; this season, defenses are lucky to bring him down once a game.
Improvement and discipline
Getting the most out of Caleb and having a competent coach has truly put this Bears team in a great position to be a new contending team in the NFC. Everything with this team has fallen into place. This team has bought into Ben Johnson and this team has bought into Caleb WIlliams as their leader in the huddle.
Offensive line
Give credit to Ryan Poles as well for giving Ben Johnson all he needs to have success in year 1. The Bears’ offensive line is one of the best in the NFL. Poles hit on just about every one of his offensive draft picks, and he found underrated gems like Nahshon Wright in free agency. That also correlates very well with how good this coaching staff is. Ben Johnson could not have hired a better offensive coordinator than Dennis Allen, who has taken this defense to new heights. The Bears’ offense and defense take turns complementing each other.
Raising the bar
The Bears have had a dream season, and if the season were to end today, everybody would consider this season a success in Chicago. The Bears are in the playoffs, and they have a shot to take home the NFC North title with two weeks still left in the season. With how good this team is right now, why stop there? The playoffs were a goal, not the final destination for this season. It was a great achievement, and it deserves some type of celebration, but the job is not finished, and this Bears team has every bit of an opportunity as much as any other top contender in the NFL to make noise come playoff time.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: For Caleb Williams, an NFL playoff berth is just the beginning
Reporting by Micah Huff, Trojans Wire / Trojans Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
