GREEN BAY, Wis. — Throughout the partnership between Bears coach Ben Johnson and quarterback Caleb Williams, the emphasis has been overwhelmingly on what Johnson can do for Williams.
But it’s a symbiotic relationship, and the coach desperately needs his quarterback back.
Johnson has kept the Bears afloat in Williams’ absence, but there have been too many times when the offense sputtered and neither Johnson nor backup quarterback Tyson Bagent could ignite it. That was the case Sunday for most of the Bears’ 31-7 loss to the Packers at Lambeau Field.
It was the team’s first game since the death of former coach Mike Ditka on Friday, and players wore a No. 89 decal on their helmets in honor of the number he wore as a Bears tight end in the 1960s. The Packers held a moment of silence for Ditka before the game.
It was evident early that the offense was in for a rough day without Williams and backup running back Kyle Monangai, who was the engine a week earlier by rushing for 146 yards and two touchdowns on 30 carries to compensate for a mediocre performance by Bagent.
No one saved the day Sunday, though, as Bagent completed 12 of 21 passes for 87 yards and two interceptions for a 27.4 passer rating before Johnson benched him for Case Keenum early in the fourth quarter.
Keenum was no better. He walked into a golden opportunity with the Bears starting at the Packers’ 31-yard line and squandered it by throwing an interception in the end zone on fourth-and-goal. He also lost a fumble in the fourth.
No one had an answer, including Johnson.