Bears Making Vikings' Week 1 Job Easier with QB Uncertainty

The Minnesota Vikings will battle the Chicago Bears on Monday night in what is supposed to be one of the most highly-anticipated matchups in Week 1. While most of the hype is centered around J.J. McCarthy’s first career start, the questions are just as heavy around Chicago’s starting quarterback Caleb Williams.

A battle between two top-10 quarterback picks from the 2024 draft is sure to start some conversations entering Monday night. But while many think the major question-marks surround McCarthy, Bears head coach Ben Johnson may have hinted at his own uncertainty surrounding Caleb Williams.

Ben Johnson’s Uncertainty Surrounding Caleb Williams Gives Vikings Week 1 Advantage

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Johnson discussed Williams’s readiness for the Week 1 matchup against the Vikings. While describing his process for crafting the gameplan, Johnson also admitted that it’s still a work in progress and the next few days will determine how much he wants to lean on the second-year quarterback in the season opener.

“I go back to when I was in high school going into game days, and we’d only throw it about five times,” Johnson said via Andrew Seligman of the Associated Press. “Now we were a really good team – we ended up winning state my junior year, and I would come out of the game wondering, ‘Why didn’t we throw it more than that?’ As a quarterback, it goes back to ‘What did the week look like in practice?’ I think that’s why the preparation and how it looks like on the field is so important. I think we’ll have a real good feel as a coaching staff for what we’re going to get out of Caleb on Monday night, with how he approaches the next few days.”

It’s highly unlikely that Johnson would only call five passing plays on Monday night, and most of his answer is detailing how he puts the gameplan together on a weekly basis. Kevin O’Connell has also had a similar process in his time as Vikings coach, giving him and his quarterback a “Red Pen” meeting on Saturdays where the quarterback and the coaching staff goes through plays that they feel won’t work in the game. The process is designed to give the quarterback maximum confidence in his decisions and help him play freely on game day.

That being said, it’s an interesting comment for a quarterback like Williams. An improviser by trade, Williams has spent his time making off-schedule plays as opposed to the on-time, attention-to-detail approach demanded by Johnson. There have also been highs and lows throughout training camp and the preseason which may make Johnson feel like he doesn’t know what he has going into the season opener.

This is something that could have Brian Flores licking his chops going against a quarterback in a new system and a head coach. It’s also something that could give the Vikings an advantage as O’Connell has had a full year to work with McCarthy even though the second-year signal caller spent his rookie season recovering from a torn meniscus.

Whatever O’Connell and Johnson decide to do with their young quarterbacks is an interesting storyline going into Monday and will be part of a big reveal as both teams look to take an early advantage in the NFC North.

More Minnesota Vikings News & Rumors: