Hiring Ben Johnson made all the sense in the world. He was the best offensive mind in the NFL last season, leading the Detroit Lions to 564 points and a 15-2 record. If anybody could assess whether Caleb Williams has what it takes to succeed in the league, it’s him. The potential pairing of that talent with that galaxy brain drew so much daydreaming. However, it is important to remember that things don’t always mesh in ways you expect. It can’t just be a physical talent paired with a good play-caller. The two men must be aligned in thought as well. Jared Goff saw football the same way Johnson did in Detroit. That is why it worked so well.
People weren’t sure if Williams would see it that way, considering how different the two quarterbacks’ playing styles are. That is what has Tim Jenkins so nervous. The renowned QB trainer and analyst discussed Williams’ development on Hoge & Jahns. Over the course of the conversation, he mentioned how the two look together on the sideline. He didn’t quite see them meshing as one would think. It reminded him of another prominent pairing, one that imploded spectacularly.
Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams need to bridge their gaps.
Sean Payton was already a Hall of Fame coach by the time he arrived in Denver. He’d put up ridiculous numbers for 15 years in New Orleans. It all came with Drew Brees at quarterback. Payton knew how he wanted his offense run. Russell Wilson was a former Pro Bowler who’d won a Super Bowl. It seemed like an ideal pairing. However, it didn’t take long to detect friction between the two. Reports later surfaced that Payton thought Wilson was a prima donna who freelanced way too often. For somebody who believed so strongly in his offense, that was never going to fly with the coach.
Therein lay the problem. Ben Johnson is wired the same way. He has a steadfast belief in his offense. He works tirelessly to craft every play, honing them to perfection. All he needs is players to execute them as designed. That becomes much more difficult with a quarterback like Williams, who made his name as an elite improviser in college. Few do backyard football better than him. While it can make for great highlights, it can also easily derail the rhythm of an offense.
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That is frustrating for a perfectionist like Johnson. If Jenkins is right, that gap could prove difficult to bridge.