Quarterback Caleb Williams will get his first chance to run Ben Johnson’s offense in a game situation this weekend.
The Bears head coach announced on Wednesday that Chicago’s starters, including Williams, will play against the Bills on Sunday night.
Williams did not play in Chicago’s preseason opener against Miami last Sunday.
“Well, last week — and really, all through camp — I’ve been pretty consistent with the thought of reps, reps, reps are the most important thing to get him up to speed,” Johnson said in his press conference. “And by the plan that we had a week ago, we were able to get him probably somewhere between 80 and 100 more reps than we would’ve been able to do had he played in the game.
“This week, it’s a different schedule. Different length of time in terms of in between games and all that. And so, our plan right now is the guys that sat out last week, they will be playing this week.”
Johnson added that how long Williams and the starters will play in the contest is still to be determined. Chicago will have a joint practice with Buffalo on Friday, which may affect how Johnson then distributes reps in the game.
Though whatever plays the Bears run are likely to be very vanilla, Sunday will still represent a chance for Williams to hear plays called in from Johnson for the first time in a game situation. That’s a key box to check for a first-year head coach and a young quarterback.
Kickoff between Chicago and Buffalo is set for 8 p.m. ET on Sunday night. The game will be nationally televised on Fox.
