"Ben Johnson can't save him," "He is trash": Caleb Williams flamed by fans after Bears blow lead in 27-24 loss to Vikings

Caleb Johnson's first game under Ben Johnson did not go well, and fans did not let him forget it.

On Monday night against the Minnesota Vikings, the Chicago Bears blew a 17-6 lead after a brutal sequence that saw them miss a field goal and punt twice, while also allowing two touchdowns in the same span. It wasted a stellar performance from the sophomore quarterback - 21/35 passing attempts completed for 211 yards and a touchdown, and six rushing attempts for 58 yards and a score.

After the game, there was much anger and mockery from fans:

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"BENCH CALEB WILLIAMS FOR TYSON BAGENT!" one demanded.

"Cut Caleb Williams," another begged.

"Caleb Williams reminds me of Anthony Richardson looks good moving and has a good spiral but man does he take sacks for no reason steps out of bounds when he can just throw it away," another compared.

DJ Moore, Olamide Zacchaeus, and Rome Odunze were Williams' top targets in the game, combining for 13 catches for 147 yards and a late touchdown. Tight ends Cole Kmet and rookie Colston Loveland were quiet, being held to a combined three catches for 43 yards. Meanwhile, D'Andre Swift carried the ball 17 times for 53 yards.

Caleb Williams, Ben Johnson react to Bears’ loss to Vikings

After the game, Caleb Williams and Ben Johnson took the stand to give their thoughts. The coach was first to speak, and he could not hide his disappointment at seeing as big a lead as 17-6 disappear:

“We had said before Week 1 that the team with the least number of mistakes would win the game. Unfortunately, we were on the wrong side of that. We made too many there, myself included. There are a number of things that I could have done better.”

During the game, the Bears committed 12 penalties - an issue that Johnson vowed to resolve ahead of his Detroit homecoming on Sunday.

Williams was next, and he said:

“The lesson there is get the ball, pass it onto scrimmage. I was trying to throw the ball away, and it just didn't get passed onto scrimmage, cause I knew we were in field goal range. I think I’ve been able to have a couple of those moments.”

Kickoff for the Bears-Lions game is at 1 pm ET/12 pm CT on Fox

About the author

Andre Castillo is an NFL journalist at Sportskeeda who holds a Bachelor’s degree in English and Master’s degree in Journalism. He has over seven years of working experience and has also covered MMA with FanSided, wrestling with The Sportster, and automobiles with Hot Cars.

Andre follows the New York Jets and the Washington Commanders, mostly because he likes their colors. His favorite position is tight end, and players like Mark Andrews and Travis Kelce have always drawn Andre's attention when watching a game. Bill Belichick is his favorite coach, and his all-time favorite Super Bowl is the XLII edition, when the underdog New York Giants upset the then-undefeated New England Patriots.

If he can change one moment in NFL history, it will be from the NFC Championship Game in January 2019. In that game, a highly controversial no-call cost the Saints what would have been Drew Brees' second Super Bowl visit, where he would have faced Tom Brady and the Patriots.

Andre is always on the lookout for fresh perspectives in a story and ensures complete factual accuracy by double-checking all information before using it in his articles. He has an innate understanding of how to present information in an efficient and compelling way.

Outside the writing realm, Andre is a professional licensed teacher. His hobbies include watching UFC, MotoGP, playing the piano, and travelling.

Know More

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Edited by Andre Castillo