And Chicago Bears fans everywhere breathed a sigh of relief as the echoes of the double doink faded away in Week 11. After a decidedly ugly QB duel between Caleb Williams and Minnesota's J.J. McCarthy (both finished 16-of-32 and with under 200 passing yards), Chicago escaped a blown 16-3 lead on kicker Cairo Santos' 48-yard walk-off field goal.
But even amid the fog of victory, the questions about the Bears only seemed to get louder — specifically the ones about Williams. His 50-percent completion rating was the worst of the season by far, and his 193 passing yards and 68.9 QBR were his second-worst marks on the seasons as well. Outside observers are also keen to note the disconnect with Wiliams' style of play with the calls head coach Ben Johnson likes to make, as noted by an anonymous opposing defensive coach in a statement to Mike Sando of The Athletic:
"""To be honest with you, I think Ben is frustrated with him...Caleb doesn't play on time and doesn't do the things that allow that offense to get to the next level that Ben is used to. Ben was able to scheme up max-protection things for Jared (Goff) in Detroit and run guys open. This guy can't do that, so now it is all (off-schedule) ball, which is uncontrollable for a coach.""Anonymous, to Mike Sando of The Athletic
But even with Williams' growing pains, there is plenty to like about Johnson's first head coaching stint, and you shouldn't sour on the Bears just because they keep winning ugly.
The Bears offense is completely revamped
Chicago's new-look offensive line is now second in the NFL in pass blocking win rate at 71%. Granted, these results aren't against the stingiest of pass rushes — their toughest test thus far was a Week 1 laugh fest against the Detroit Lions — but offensive lines usually need time to gel, and this unit has done so inordinately quickly. Most of their starters are in their first season with the team, and right tackle Darnell Wright is only in his third season in the NFL.
The results are stark: The Bears' rushing offense is now second in the league in yards per game (147.3), and despite his allergy to staying in the pocket, Williams has been sacked at the fourth-lowest rate in the NFL and has only thrown four interceptions on the year.
And while he hasn't improved much from his rookie year, Williams' average QBR is two points higher to go along with slight improvements on his yards per passing attempt and yards per game. And along with those modest improvements, Chicago has already posted more 20+ point games than they did in all of 2024, with a top-five offense in yardage through 11 weeks for the first time since Walter Payton was active.
Johnson is simply getting results and making the most of the hand he's been dealt. D.J. Moore is disappointing, but Rome Odunze has exploded onto the scene, Luther Burden is a legitimate threat between the numbers and Colston Loveland and Cole Kmet are making legitimate arguments to go all-in on 21-personnel sets. Hell, even D'Andre Swift is having himself a year.
And despite a legitimately poor Week 11 performance, Williams has been on an efficiency tear. Situationally, he still managed to flash in spots against the Vikings while committing no turnovers against a dangerous passing defense under DC Brian Flores.
The Bears have proven with this win that they can win ugly. In prior weeks, they've proven they can win through fireworks. And while that's not o Williams (yet), Johnson deserves all the flowers he's getting from the league and Chicago fans.