Ask Bears head coach Ben Johnson about putting quarterback Caleb Williams under center in the preseason game Sunday against the Bills, and he’ll point to a play that decidedly didn’t work.
On first-and-10 from the Bears’ 39, Williams took a snap from under center. He looked at tight ends Cole Kmet and an open Colston Loveland, who were crossing in front of each other in the middle of the field, then threw late into the left flat toward running back Deion Hankins. The ball fell to the ground.
Johnson, however, didn’t rip Williams’ decision-making. Rather, he pointed to the fact he took a seven-step drop after taking a snap from under center. Williams was eight yards deep when he threw the ball — and looked comfortable. That was a good sign, Johnson said before practice Wednesday.
‘‘Hell, we had a seven-step drop from under center . . . which you don’t really see many teams do anymore in this league,’’ Johnson said. ‘‘He was just fine working through his progressions.
‘‘I think we’re going to have the ability to do whatever we want any week.’’
Reaching that point 2½ weeks before the Bears open their season is important. Johnson came to Chicago vowing to make Williams comfortable doing something he rarely was asked to do in high school, college or as an NFL rookie: take snaps from under center. Williams spent the summer break between organized team activities and training camp working on his footwork.
Late in camp, Williams has left Johnson just as comfortable calling plays when he is under center as he is in the shotgun.
Against the Bills, seven of the Bears’ 13 plays came with Williams in shotgun.
‘‘I think he’s most comfortable there,’’ Johnson said. ‘‘That’s where he’s been all of college and a lot of last year, as well. Yeah, there’s a balance. We’re going to do what’s best for the other players on the field, as well, and what’s best for that particular play to have success.
‘‘I think he looks just as natural under [center].’’
Johnson put the Lions in shotgun 492 times last season, the fewest in the league and about 250 times fewer than the Bears. He thinks quarterbacks turning their back to hand the ball off better sells a play-action fake and buys an extra split-second that the linebacker has to stay honest.
Play-action is a Johnson staple. Lions quarterback Jared Goff threw for more passing yards on play-action the last three seasons than every Bears quarterback did in the last six.
Being under center allows Johnson to run his scheme, which he describes as wanting similar plays to look different and different plays to look the same.
‘‘It’s something that’s going to be part of this offense,’’ Williams said after the game. ‘‘So being able to be on point, being able to have everything look exactly the same and be different is what we’re working on every single day.
‘‘Shotgun or under center, [it] doesn’t matter.’’
Williams led a 92-yard touchdown drive to start the game before being stymied on his second (and final) drive. Afterward, Johnson praised Williams for putting together three standout days for the first time in camp.
That stretch ended Wednesday, however, when the Bears again struggled with their pre-snap process. Williams took two delays of game in practice. On the second one, he broke the huddle with only 10 seconds left on the play clock and tried to change the play at the line of scrimmage with only three seconds to go. When he noticed his mistake, his shoulders slumped and he hung his head.
Williams’ procedure was ‘‘very clean’’ against the Bills, Johnson said.
‘‘I thought he heard the plays well from me and communicated it well in the huddle,’’ he said. ‘‘We really didn’t have many issues in terms of getting lined up with plenty of time.’’
The Bears want Williams’ pre-snap routine to be just as efficient Friday against the Chiefs in Kansas City. He and the rest of the Bears’ starters will play against the Chiefs, though Johnson wouldn’t say for how long.
After installing their offense through the first half of camp, the Bears have begun whittling down their playbook.
‘‘When the season comes around, comes along, we’ll kind of hone into what we’re really good at,’’ backup quarterback Tyson Bagent said after practice. ‘‘I’m sure you’ve probably seen every single kind of drop under center and in the ’gun. We’re doing a good job right now of mixing everything up and seeing what we’re good at and what we’re not so good at.’’
Williams has been adept enough under center and in the shotgun to at least give Johnson options — in Week 1 and beyond.
‘‘There’s always something to get better from, me included,’’ Williams said. “And that’s what we’re going to do.’’
