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The Chicago Bears had one of the worst offenses in the NFL during the 2024 season. After a 4-2 start, they imploded, which led to a 10-game losing streak and an eventual 5-12 record. To say it was a disaster would be an understatement.
One thing that should help is offensive line improvement, which will see at least three (perhaps four) new starters in 2025. Yes, new head coach Ben Johnson will be a factor as well, but quarterback Caleb Williams was sacked way too many times last season — a league-leading 68 sacks.
Not all of that blame, however, can be placed on the offensive line. Some of it has to fall at the feet of Williams, who made plenty of bad decisions that led to his being sacked.
Williams must not hang on to the ball for too long. He has to learn how to utilize his check-downs more often. He only checked the ball down on 7.1 percent of his attempts, which is ridiculous considering the number of times he was sacked.
His downfield accuracy wasn’t nearly as strong as his short pass accuracy, which is to be expected from a young player at the position. Instead of hanging onto the ball for too long and trying to be the hero, sometimes Williams just needs to get the ball out to someone closer.
With a better understanding of NFL defenses after a season, with Johnson as the head coach, and an improved offensive line, Williams should have more time in the pocket. That will allow him to execute his playbook better, but it will also give him the ability to work on his check-downs when errors do occur. When Williams isn’t running for his life on every other play, he can make himself a smarter player.
While he didn’t check down a lot, Williams was the ninth-most efficient quarterback in the NFL in that situation. The guy in first place? Jared Goff, who played in Johnson’s offense.
When you think of superstars at the position, like Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow, and Matthew Stafford, you can see guys who aren’t the hero on every play, despite how talented they may be. Any of those guys will make the wise choice when presented with the opportunity, which will allow them to be a hero at a different (better) stage of the game.
Simply improving the short passing game isn’t going to be the main point of the offense, but it is something that Williams must improve with so he can keep the chains moving at a steady pace. If the Bears score more points, they will win more games. If they win more games, they may make the playoffs.
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