It took one quarter for Caleb Williams to prove he was never the Bears’ problem

The Chicago Bears were the main event of this weekends preseason schedule. The Bears' game against the Buffalo Bills was the first time Bears fans could see what quarterback Caleb Williams can do in new head coach Ben Johnson's offensive system. Bears fans know what Johnson could do, considering he turned the Detroit Lions into a juggernaut on offense.

Williams has been the subject of ridicule for the past year, as he didn't live up to the hype as the No. 1 pick as a rookie. Other coaches around the league ripped Williams for his inability to process or tendency to make negative plays. But Williams had the chance to prove his critics wrong with a strong debut in this new system.

On the opening drive, Williams led the team on a seven play, 92 yard touchdown drive. Williams completed five-of-six pass attempts for 97 yards. 36 of those yards arrived on a touchdown pass to Olamide Zaccheaus.

If the opening drive proved anything, it's that Williams wasn't the problem last year. It was a combination of things in the final season with Matt Eberflus as head coach.

Caleb Williams proves he wasn't the problem in Chicago last year

Eberflus will be remembered by Bears fans in a negative light, much like his predecessor Matt Nagy. Fans know that he was unable to lead the team to a winning record and actively made decisions that cost them victories. But he didn't exactly help Williams thrive in his rookie year.

Looking to get the most out of Williams, Eberflus brought in a new offensive coordinator in Shane Waldron, who came over from the Seattle Seahawks. Let's just say that Seahawks players couldn't find many positive things to say about Waldron. Look no further than wide receiverJaxon Smith-Njigba struggling to find a positive word about Waldron when asked by CHGO Sports' Mark Carman during Super Bowl 58 week.

The Bears offense struggled under Waldron, ultimately resulting in him being fired nine games into his tenure, as they averaged just 277.6 yards per game during that span.

Then there's the front office. General manager Ryan Poles didn't exactly give Williams adequate protection at the line of scrimmage, as they allowed 68 sacks on the year. How was a rookie quarterback supposed to thrive in that situation?

Luckily, Poles made improving the offensive line the priority, bringing in center Drew Dalman and guards Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson. while Thuney didn't play on Sunday, Dalman and Jackson did, and the results looked great.

Besides Williams' touchdown pass, he also connected with tight end Cole Kmet between the hashmarks for a 29 yard gain.

Williams finished his night after two series, completing 6-of-10 passes for 130 yards and a 130.0 passer rating.

Yes it's the preseason. But considering what Williams and Bears fans went through, it had to be good seeing Williams thrive in a new system. So far, so good in the Johnson era in Chicago.