Bears’ Ben Johnson, Caleb Williams exasperated by offense, vow to channel frustration in playoffs

This could have been a coronation.

Caleb Williams could have started the Lions game the way he played throughout the 49ers game last week, broken the franchise single-season passing-yards record by -halftime and become the first Bears quarterback to throw for 4,000 in a year by the fourth quarter.

He could have laid claim to the finest passing season in modern Bears history and, with a victory against the Lions, put the team back on track before a Round 1 home playoff game against the hated Packers on Saturday night at 7.

Instead, the Bears got the version of Williams they’ve seen too often this season — though, until Sunday, not lately. In a 19-16 loss to the Lions, Williams again proved as hard to warm up as vintage car in winter. Through three quarters, he was 11-for-20 for 89 yards, one interception and a 47.9 passer rating. The Bears trailed 16-0.

“We can’t dig ourselves in a hole like that,” coach Ben Johnson said. “I was disappointed in the offense as a whole, I let those guys know that and we’ll be better for it.”

Williams rallied the Bears to two touchdowns and two two-point conversions in the fourth quarter, including a 25-yard pass to Jahdae Walker 44 seconds into the frame that broke Erik Kramer’s franchise record of 3,838 passing yards, set 30 years ago. Williams finished with 3,942 for the season.

He could have had more. After safety -Kevin Byard intercepted Jared Goff off Jaquan Brisker’s tip with 2:11 to play, the Bears had the ball at their 26 in a tied game. It set up for yet another Williams fourth-quarter comeback.

On first down, he threw a slant that hit receiver Luther Burden in both hands but fell to the ground. On second down, he was flagged for intentional grounding, throwing the ball away while he was being dragged to the ground inside the pocket. On third-and-20, he checked down to running back Kyle Monangai for 15 yards. After some internal debate by Johnson during the two-minute warning, the Bears decided to punt and never got the ball back. It took the Lions six plays to go 39 yards and win on a 42-yard field goal by Jake Bates at the gun.

“It’s us playing the ball that we need in those crucial moments,” Williams said. “We’ve been better throughout the season. We’ve gotta get back to that.”

Asked about the franchise record after the game, Williams could muster little -enthusiasm. He was still seething about the Bears’ performance and as visibly annoyed as he has been after a game all season.

“Nah, I …. no … I need to win the game,” he said. “We didn’t execute the way we needed to. That number is the number. So be it.”

How the Bears got beat remained bewildering to both coach and quarterback. Williams finished 22-for-30 for 212 yards, two touchdowns and his first interception since the last play of the loss in Green Bay. The Bears remain the only NFL team to never have a 4,000-yard passer.

Asked what about the offense frustrated him the most, Johnson was direct.

“The points,” he said. “Only scored 16.”

The Bears last scored 16 or fewer Oct. 26 against the Ravens. That’s not what was supposed to happen during the team’s playoff tuneup. The Bears were bailed out by the Commanders, who beat the Eagles’ backups to ensure the Bears kept the No. 2 seed in the NFC playoffs.

The Bears prepared one of their most straightforward game plans of the season, Johnson said. The coach, who swore he wasn’t trying to save specific plays for next week, watched the Bears manage just four first downs in their first four drives.

Their best first-half possession was spoiled by tight end Colston Loveland dropping a fourth-and-two pass at the Lions’ 23 with 30 seconds to play in the second quarter. The Bears’ two third-quarter drives ended in a punt and an interception, respectively.

Williams, who hadn’t run fewer than three times all season, ran once for one yard and wondered after the game if he should have used his legs more often.

Williams has expressed faith in his coach all season and wore it on his back Sunday afternoon, walking into Soldier Field wearing Johnson’s green-and-gold high school jersey. Johnson wore No. 12 as the quarterback of the A.C. Reynolds Rockets in Asheville, North Carolina.

The next week will be one of the most important in the young partnership between Williams and Johnson. They’ll work toward beating another green-and-gold team.

Williams vowed to “use this frustration” this week. The Bears have done it all season, he said.

“We went 0-2 [to start] — frustration was there,” he said. “We had losses we felt like we shouldn’t have lost — frustration there. And these past two weeks. We’re going to use this frustration. We’re going to get on a roll here starting this week.

“And that’s the focus.”