The relationship between head coach Ben Johnson and quarterback Caleb Williams will be under a microscope for as long as the two are together. 

If Williams can retain and execute Johnson’s scheme to begin the season, then the offense has an opportunity to start out fast – increasing the likelihood of the team’s overall success. There is a lot at stake on how the relationship between the Bears’ head coach and quarterback develops. 

On the latest episode of “The Chicago Football Show,” Scott Bair and Carmen Vitali were joined by ESPN analyst Mina Kimes. Of course, there was plenty of discussion on Williams and Johnson and specifically how the first-year head coach will adapt his offense to his second-year quarterback. 

“I’m primarily interested in seeing how Ben Johnson evolves his offense, the one we saw in Detroit, to perhaps be more accommodating to Caleb Williams’ skillset,” Kimes said. “I think there will obviously be some continuity, but it’s not going to be like how it was with Jared Goff, where he was under center maybe more than any quarterback in the NFL.”

[Watch the latest episode of “The Chicago Football Show” on the Marquee Sports Network app]

Kimes did mention Johnson’s offense in Chicago will have elements of play action, attacking the middle of the field and not having a high average depth of target like the Lions did in Detroit the last three seasons in which Johnson called the plays. 

But there is one obvious and major difference. 

“Caleb Williams is not Jared Goff,” Kimes said. “He’s not automatic from inside the pocket, but then he (Williams) also brings plus ability outside the pocket, and I think arm talent that exceeds Goff in terms of his ceiling. I think it’s going to be interesting to see how that schematic marriage plays out. And I say ‘plays out’ because there does need to be some patience.” 

Patience will be key for Williams to understand Johnson’s offense, especially since everything the former No. 1 overall pick learned last season doesn’t necessarily translate to Year 2. 

“There really isn’t a ton of carryover from what he was asked to do — the play calls or anything of that nature,” Johnson said last Saturday. “I mean, he’s always been very comfortable as a shotgun quarterback going back to college and even last year. He’s very comfortable in a two-minute setting. He’s very comfortable with tempo-type plays and so now we’re asking him to be a little bit more structured in terms of the play calls. Sometimes there’s multiple calls. You know, there’s shifts, there’s motions, there’s a lot more going on mentally than probably there’s ever been for him. 

“And so at some point, this thing will start slowing down and he’s going to be able to catch up and his physical ability will take over from there, but right now — because mentally it is what it is — he’s playing a little bit slower than what he’s capable of.”

Time and reps will be the best way for Williams to play up to speed mentally with everything this offense will ask of him. It helps, though, that the young quarterback showed plenty of positive traits from his rookie season. 

[How Colston Loveland has most impressed Ben Johnson in Bears camp]

“You saw the arm talent that is a huge part of why he was drafted where he was,” Kimes said. “He can throw the ball to any part of the field. He can do it accurately, although at times that obviously wasn’t the case. He can play inside and outside of structure.”

Kimes also highlighted that, “there would be games where it felt like he didn’t trust what he was seeing and it led to inaccuracy and holding onto the football.”

Williams ended his rookie season with 3,541 passing yards, 20 touchdowns, six interceptions and a 62.5 completion percentage. He was also sacked a league-high 68 times. 

“I think really what you just need is more consistency,” Kimes said. “You need those good moments to be more than just a half or a couple of games and really you just need to see confidence from him in the structure of the offense.”