Ben Johnson saw a glimpse of Monday night’s preparation before the Bears ever boarded a flight to Seattle. After Saturday’s red-zone practice ended, Caleb Williams and quarterbacks coach J.T. Barrett stayed on the field for another hour.

Williams had more to learn than usual. Against Seattle’s defense, Johnson was asking his quarterback to handle an unusually elaborate game plan — and to make it work in one of the NFL’s loudest stadiums. After Chicago’s 34-17 victory, the coach connected that extra work to the trust Williams has earned.

“I know if things don’t look great necessarily early on in the week, I trust him at this point to get it down by the time we get to game day,” Johnson said.

That assessment reveals something beyond another efficient passing performance. Johnson is growing more comfortable giving Williams responsibility because he believes his quarterback will do the work required to carry it.

The Bears needed that confidence against an opponent that entered the game first in total defense and passing yards allowed. Seattle’s ability to limit deep completions and challenge offenses across the field meant Chicago had to prepare to sustain possessions.

Johnson said the plan required more from Williams to help the offense find plays that had a chance against the looks it encountered. Williams embraced the assignment.

“The more that I can do to be able to help this team, I’m going to spend extra time, extra hours, extra walkthroughs,” Williams said after the game.

He described learning additional checks, adjustments at the line and unusual formations. The challenge was getting comfortable enough with those details to communicate them while the crowd made every exchange harder.

The opening possession offered immediate evidence of that preparation. Chicago marched 80 yards in 17 plays, using 8:32 before Williams found Luther Burden III for a 1-yard touchdown. He completed eight of 10 passes on the drive. Seattle had gone 16 games without allowing an opening-drive touchdown. Williams helped end that streak by repeatedly moving the chains rather than forcing a quick breakthrough.

Afterward, he pointed to long-drive drills from training camp and OTAs — the exhausting sessions players dread at the end of a hot practice. Those repetitions, he said, had prepared Chicago for a possession that demanded sustained execution.

The game was not free of mistakes. Johnson acknowledged that the noise affected the operation, and pre-snap penalties remained a frustration. Williams also explained that he missed part of a call before a fourth-quarter delay-of-game penalty gave the offense time to reset.

Those problems matter when assessing his progress. Johnson’s praise was about how Williams handled the assignment and responded when the operation became difficult.

“He stayed calm, cool and collected throughout,” Johnson acknowledged.

That composure became particularly valuable after Colston Loveland’s fumble helped Seattle cut Chicago’s lead to 20-17. The Bears answered with a touchdown drive featuring Kalif Raymond’s 39-yard gain, then converted a defensive takeaway into another score.

Williams finished 24 of 34 for 247 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions. Chicago never trailed and improved to 6-2.

Even after the win, Williams identified a throw to Rome Odunze that could have been better. Odunze had to slide for the catch, costing him a possible opportunity to run afterward. Williams viewed his efficiency as encouragement to keep refining his ball placement.

Johnson sees that approach in the preparation long before the public sees the result. Asked whether Williams could have handled the same demands a year ago, he said the quarterback is further along in the offense.

Saturday’s extra hour was one example of how Williams is getting there. Monday showed why Johnson is willing to keep asking for more.