The Chicago Bears are expected to get a huge boost this week with the return of quarterback Caleb Williams, who's missed the last three games with a hamstring injury. The expectation is that Williams will return to the starting lineup for Sunday's game against the Atlanta Falcons.
Williams suffered a Grade 2 hamstring injury, which was expected to sidelined him 3-4 weeks, which puts him on track for a return this week. Johnson wouldn't confirm whether or not he expected Williams back this week, but it certainly sounds like that'll be the case, barring any setbacks.
Williams' return would be a huge return for this Chicago offense, which went 2-1 with Tyson Bagent and Case Keenum in his absence. But the offense has been missing the flair it had back in Week 1's dominant showing against the Carolina Panthers. Johnson discussed what the Bears offense has been lacking without Williams, mainly consistency, and he's aiming to get back-to-basics this weekend.
"Our playstyle needs to show up on a regular basis," Johnson said. "We've had more three-and-outs than we would like. The turnovers were a major issue last game. It's getting back to what we did all through camp and how we started the first week of the season. I don't know that we've done that at a consistent level since then.
"It's a little bit more back to the basics for us as a unit, taking the volume down in terms of the plays going into the game plan here for a base day a little bit and make sure we get real good at the little things. I think sometimes when things go haywire, that's usually the best reaction is to make sure that we're just going back to what we believe in and what we're about.
"We need to play hard, we need to play through the whistle, we need to make sure we're taking care of all the little fundamentals that we harp on, that we've been harping on since the springtime. Certainly, as a play caller, I've got to help get these guys in a better rhythm to move the ball down the field."
The Bears face a get-right situation against the Falcons on Sunday, and it'll present some challenges on all phases. Specifically for the offense, they'll face one of the league's best run defenses, and this is a game where Williams could open things up downfield. But he'll need help from everyone involved, including his head coach and play caller.
Follow Bears Wire on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Ben Johnson on what Bears offense has lacked without Caleb Williams