(2) Despite the loss, Johnson saw some positives in Caleb Williams’ performance.
The Bears quarterback completed 25 of 38 passes for 285 yards with one interception and a 77.2 passer rating while being sacked only once. Williams also rushed for 24 yards on three carries, including a 22-yard scamper.
“He was very efficient with the football there early in the game,” Johnson said. “I thought he had a number of throws that were on time. We hit a couple in-breakers. That was encouraging to see as well … I thought he did a good job delivering that football.
“There’s a couple that we talked about that need to be automatic here at this point halfway through the season that we missed on, and so we’re going to keep on working through that process. I think we’re going to be in good shape. I did think he took a step forward here this week.”
On Williams’ lone interception on a pass intended for receiver Rome Odunze, Johnson told reporters that he would have preferred that the ball been thrown underneath to running back Kyle Monangai, who was open in the flat.
“I’d like to see [Williams] check that ball down,” Johnson said.
(3) Johnson provided an injury update concerning the four players that did not finish Sunday’s game.
Rookie defensive lineman Shemar Turner, a second-round pick from Texas A&M, suffered an ACL injury that will sideline him for the rest of the season.
“He was a guy that we were really excited to finally get out on the field,” Johnson said. “We had high hopes for him, acquiring him with such a high draft pick.”
Turner appeared in five games this season, registering six tackles and two tackles-for-loss.
“I thought that when we made that transition to defensive end, it certainly coincided with our ability to stop the run at a higher clip,” Johnson said. “We thought he was part of the solution there for us. He looked somewhat natural to play that spot for a guy that hadn’t done a ton of it. We were really excited to see what this next half of the season was going to look like as he continued to develop in that role.
“It’s a shame that we’re going to miss out on him. He has a physical presence and demeanor about him that you really appreciate. He plays the game the way we want really all three phases to play. He loves football and I know he’ll attack this rehab the right way.”
Johnson added that defensive end Dominique Robinson is going to miss “a few weeks with a high ankle” [injury] after getting hurt on the opening kickoff Sunday.
Rookie receiver Luther Burden III remains in concussion protocol, while veteran receiver Olamide Zaccheaus is day-to-day with a knee injury.
