LAKE FOREST, Ill. –  There was little to like about the Bears’ play in a 52-21 loss to the Detroit Lions. Few positive performances stood out from a Sunday when nearly nothing went right, but quarterback Caleb Williams was one.

Head coach Ben Johnson saw growth from Week 1 to Week 2, a positive sign as the second-year pro gains experience in a new system.

“I did see significant growth,” Johnson said. “It’s not perfect yet.”

Williams still had issues where his eyes weren’t right and he was holding onto the ball a smidge too long, but his progressions were better. Johnson also pointed out that Williams was “trusting his feet.”

That was no accident.

Williams emphasized his footwork last week after watching the season opener. It paid off with better and more accurate throws.

“My footwork, that was a big focus for me this past week, was being able to focus on that, kind of just stay in rhythm with myself and the play, and from there, I think I have all the talent in the world to be able to deliver a good ball to my guys and let them go and make plays for us as an offense,” Williams said in a Wednesday press conference at Halas Hall. “So, I think just to keep that going, keep focusing on my footwork. Obviously, you’ve got to get everything down as a QB: all the plays, all the situations and things like that, so just consistently growing.”

Johnson cautioned against the false assumption that progress will be linear. Consistent ascent is the goal, but it’s not always realistic.

“He took a big step from Week 1 to Week 2. I’m really expecting him to do the same thing Week 2 to Week 3,” Johnson said. “But the fact of the matter is, we’re not going to go Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, all the way through 17, just like that. We’re going to have some hiccups along the way, and I’m aware of that, but his approach to the game right now is what it needs to be. He’s coming in. He’s doing the work. Eventually these results will start speaking for themselves, but as long as he puts the work in like he’s been doing, we’re going to be OK.”

Ben Johnson laments poor practice habits

Johnson was, as usual, quite candid about his team’s performance in games and in practice. He said the Lions played harder than his Bears did in Week 2, a point clear especially in the later stages of a game that had gotten out of hand.

“That’s a reflection of me as a coach,” Johnson said. “That’s a reflection of our coaching staff and it’s a reflection of our players too. When you play a good team like that on the road, you gotta be all out every single snap and that was just not the case. Specifically, it was everybody.”

Johnson said Monday that he’ll increase competition in practice, and opportunities will be earned and not given. He also provided a critical evaluation of the team’s midweek preparation.

“I think our practice habits are yet to reflect a championship-caliber team,” Johnson said.

He set expectations for what he wants to see during the week to suggest his players are locked in.

“We should be going to the football, finishing hard,” Johnson said. “We talk about it all the time with the offensive players that our fundamentals, our finish and our technique, they need to show up in walk-through, they need to show up on the practice field. That’s how it shows up on game day. Simple things of, how do we properly block? How do we catch the ball? How do we block after the catch? Ball security and things like that. It’s the little things that you learn in youth league football that even at this level, they make a huge difference.”

Jaylon Johnson still being evaluated

Jaylon Johnson won’t play in Sunday’s home game against the Dallas Cowboys. Ben Johnson confirmed that much Wednesday, but he didn’t provide any other updates on Jaylon Johnson’s long-term status.

His outlook isn’t good, if you heard the star cornerback talk about groin injuries that could require season-ending surgery. Ben Johnson said the team and player still are evaluating options, though there could be some clarity in the relatively near future, including an injured reserve placement.

Participation report

The Bears still are practicing without slot cornerback Kyler Gordon and linebacker T.J. Edwards, whom Johnson has dubbed “week-to-week.”

Defensive lineman Grady Jarrett (knee) and defensive backs Jaylon Johnson (groin) and Jaylon Jones (hamstring) also didn’t participate Wednesday.

Jarrett said Monday he’ll have to manage his knee injury before he can work back to 100 percent, so he might miss practices but still play in games for a few weeks.

Running back D’Andre Swift (quad) was limited, and his status is something to monitor, considering how thin his position group is right now.

The full participation list: