There’s one major shift that could define the new-look Chicago Bears offense under first-year head coach Ben Johnson. It’s dialing up more play-action on offense. According to ESPN’s Bill Barnwell, Chicago is projected to shift towards a play-action heavy offense, and for good reason.
Why a Play-Action Bears’ Offense Could Be Caleb Williams’ Best Friend
GettyFor Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams, implementing more play-action plays will help ease the pressure on offense and unlock his full potential.
Last season, the Bears ranked third-to-last in play-action rate at just 18.5%, while the Detroit Lions’ offense, led by Johnson, relied heavily on the use of play-action.
In fact, Jared Goff threw around 36% of his passes with a play-fake concept, which was the highest rate for any quarterback.
There were way too many instances last season where Caleb Williams looked lost and held on to the ball for way too long. Implementing play-action will help erase that issue.
The benefits of play-action are both obvious and backed by analytics. The average dropback with no play-action fake generated just 0.15 EPA (expected points added) last season. Adding a play-fake, and that number jumps to 0.21, a huge leap that essentially separates an explosive offense like the Los Angeles Rams from a stagnant offense like the Pittsburgh Steelers, according to Barnwell.
For a young quarterback like Williams, who struggled to find rhythm at times last season and often resorted to “hero ball,” creating easier reads and cleaner throwing lanes is exactly what’s needed to ease his NFL transition.
An Offensive System Built on Trust
GettyEverything is in place for Caleb Williams, now it’s up to him to execute and trust the offensive system.
The Bears have done everything possible this offseason to make Williams’ life easier. They’ve added weapons like Colston Loveland and Luther Burden III, as well as bringing in big boys up front like Joe Thuney, Drew Dalman, Jonah Jackson, Ozzy Trapilo, and much more. But perhaps the most vital part of this rebrand is not the players, but the offensive system. It has to be built on using Williams’ strengths to his advantage, while hiding his weaknesses. If Johnson can turn Goff from the Rams’ afterthought into one of the most efficient quarterbacks in the NFL, then the sky’s the limit for the 2024 No. 1 overall pick.
There will be a shift where Williams’ dazzling off-script throws and athleticism will be reserved for broken plays or high-leverage situations, rather than as the default method of moving the chains. That way, he won’t get sacked 68 times a season by using play-action to his advantage.
Another shift the Bears offense will see that Barnwell didn’t mention in the article is the increased use of checkdown plays. Williams ranked dead last in the NFL last season in checkdown rate (7.1%) according to Pro Football Focus. Not saying underusing checkdowns is necessarily a bad thing, but it’s good to have a solid mix of checkdown plays in the offense to help ease the pressure on the quarterback.
In 2025, Ben Johnson isn’t just bringing play-action to Chicago, he’s bringing a blueprint. One that helped rebuild Goff’s career and now aims to unlock the vast potential of Williams.
