The Lions triumphed 31-9, marking their 10th game this season where they scored over 30 points. It was an impressive display of how to create opportunities for playmakers in open space. In this high-stakes matchup, Johnson’s offense produced four touchdowns, all scored by running back Jahmyr Gibbs. This wasn’t the first time Williams had observed Johnson’s offense in action.
“Even last night, knowing what they were likely to do in various situations, I was able to go out there and see it executed and orchestrated,” Williams remarked. “During our game, I mostly just sat back and watched, trying to pick up something from what I saw.”
Williams spent the entire year learning the ropes. In his rookie season, he took a lot of hits while adapting to the NFL quarterback role, and the results were evident. Despite having two different offensive coordinators and head coaches, the 22-year-old quarterback had one of the top five passing seasons in Bears history.
In fact, Williams became only the second quarterback in the franchise’s history to throw for 20 touchdowns and fewer than 10 interceptions in a single season, joining Rudy Bukich from 1965.
This season, 51.6% of Detroit’s offensive drives resulted in scores, a statistic so remarkable it warrants another look: more than half of the time, Johnson’s offense puts points on the board. It’s the kind of offense that made Williams curious about how it would feel to play in such a system.
“His approach to counters and other plays has been excellent,” Williams said. “He’s obviously had a lot of success, and I think it would be exciting to see what it would be like to be part of that offense.”
