Bears Offense: Caleb Williams Sack Rate Drops to 3.8% Under Ben Johnson

The Bears offense ranked second in the NFL in rushing success rate during the 2025 season as Caleb Williams averaged 10.2 air yards per play-action pass.

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams saw his sack rate plummet from 10.0% as a rookie to 3.8% during the 2025 season under head coach Ben Johnson. Despite this protection improvement, Williams’ completion percentage dipped to 58.1%, ranking him 36th among 38 qualified passers. The unit entered its Week 5 bye with a 2-2 record, struggling with a defense ranked 31st in success rate and a rushing attack that sat 31st in EPA per rush. However, the offense ranked 12th in EPA per dropback during that same four-week span before a significant schematic shift occurred.

Following the early bye week, the Bears offense transformed into one of the most efficient ground attacks in the league, finishing the season second only to the Los Angeles Rams in both rushing success rate and EPA per rush. Offensive coordinator Press Taylor noted the necessity of this change, as Johnson took a personal hand in installing the running game weekly. Tight end Cole Kmet observed that Johnson’s installation meetings included the entire offensive roster, from receivers to linemen, to ensure total system comprehension.

Rushing Communication and Line Adjustments

Early-season struggles were highlighted by a Week 4 sequence against the Las Vegas Raiders. Trailing by five points late in the fourth quarter, the Bears suffered a breakdown when center Drew Dalman, left guard Joe Thuney, and the left tackle all blocked a single defensive tackle. This allowed linebacker Devin White to tackle D’Andre Swift behind the line of scrimmage. The confusion stemmed from a lack of chemistry among a new line featuring Thuney, Dalman, right guard Jonah Jackson, and right tackle Darnell Wright.

To fix these issues, the coaching staff implemented a "one-word" playcalling system to speed up operations. Prior to the bye, the Bears broke the huddle in 18.5 seconds for runs compared to 19.6 seconds for passes, leading to 11 pre-snap penalties in four games. These infractions included nine false starts, one illegal shift, and one illegal motion, placing the team 30th in EPA lost on pre-snap penalties. The new system utilized mnemonics suggested by younger players to condense 10-word calls into single keywords, allowing Williams to "can" plays at the line more effectively.

Directional Tendencies and Personnel Roles

Starting in Week 5, the Bears offense developed the most distinct directional tendency in the NFL. A massive 66% of all running back carries were directed to the right side of the formation, running behind the tandem of Jonah Jackson and Darnell Wright. This shift coincided with an increase in pre-snap motion; the team moved from using motion on 54.4% of runs pre-bye to 75.7% post-bye.

Personnel usage also shifted to support the ground game. Rome Odunze saw increased snaps in tight alignments to act as a blocker, a role previously held by DJ Moore, who recorded zero tight-alignment snaps in the three weeks following the bye. When Odunze suffered a foot injury, Luther Burden III stepped into the blocking rotation. These adjustments helped the Bears achieve an explosive run rate trailing only the Miami Dolphins from Week 5 onward.

Vertical Passing and Play-Action Evolution

Ben Johnson’s system utilized the rushing success to unlock a highly vertical passing game for Caleb Williams. While Jared Goff averaged 7.0 air yards per attempt on play-action passes under Johnson in Detroit, Williams averaged 10.2 air yards in 2025. Williams also increased the depth of in-breaking routes, averaging 11.7 air yards per attempt compared to Goff’s 9.0.

Williams completed 12 in-breaking passes of at least 20 yards downfield in a single season, nearly eclipsing the 17 such completions Goff recorded over three combined seasons. Tight end Colston Loveland noted that the system requires geometric precision, with coaches demanding receivers be accurate within half a yard of their designated splits. Press Taylor emphasized that the goal for 2026 is to improve ball placement for yards after catch (YAC) while maintaining the aggressive "unload the clip" mentality that defines the current Chicago system.