Ben Johnson
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Ben Johnson has changed the culture inside of the Chicago Bears locker room, and even former Bears players are able to see it
When you hear the term ‘It Factor’ in the context of sports, what you typically will think of is the athlete who possesses the right combination of competitiveness, swagger, skillset and sense of the moment. There’s an almost tangible aura that radiates off of this person, and a magnetism that draws others in. It’s intoxicating and powerful, and it’s precisely what you want from the leader of your team.
It’s uncommon, however, to hear someone talk about a head coach using a term like ‘It Factor,’ but when discussing Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson, it’s precisely the way that Bears legend Charles “Peanut” Tillman thought to describe the man who is changing the culture in the Windy City.
“The one time I met him, I felt he had that ‘it factor,’” Tillman told Bears Den co-host Anthony Adams. “I really think he has that, and it’s infectious amongst his players and his coaches. And I think that is something we haven’t had in a while, and that’s a beautiful thing to see.”
In truth, the last time a Bears coach had his locker room behind him the way that Ben Johnson already seems to was back when Peanut Tillman was playing and Lovie Smith was the man in charge, but Lovie didn’t have the dynamic, borderline psychotic personality quirks that Johnson possesses. You could make a case that Matt Nagy may have had that in his first season in Chicago, but if he did, it dissipated almost as quickly as you could say ‘double doink.’
“The culture is changing,” Tillman added. “What really makes me believe that, Caleb mentioned something last night when he was at the podium, he said, ‘this team loves each other. I’m super blessed and happy and excited to wake up every day and be coached by Ben Johnson.’ All the players on that team will run through a brick wall for Coach Johnson.”
For context, here is the full quote about Ben Johnson from Caleb Williams’ post-game press conference that Peanut Tillman paraphrased:
“I’m excited every single day that I get to wake up and be coached by him, and I know the other guys are also,” Williams said on Monday night. “We believe in him, we trust him, we trust our other coaches, and I think that’s gonna continue to keep growing. The belief in him is there, and we want to win for him.”
Yeah, those are the words of a player who is totally bought in.
Bears Culture is Changing, But Will Postseason Drought Soon be Ending?
It’s still a little early in the season to be contemplating a question like this one, but it’s also not so early that Bears fans aren’t prone to thinking about whether the team’s first postseason appearance in half a decade could be on the horizon. Chicago has now won three games in a row and is entering a stretch of its season that is suddenly set up for success.
The 1-5 New Orleans Saints will be visiting Soldier Field this Sunday, then the Bears have back to back games versus the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals, a pair of teams who looked far more formidable heading into the season than they presently do. After that, the Bears host the New York Giants. Theoretically, it’s possible that Chicago could win all four of these games, which means a 7-2 start isn’t off the table.
Is this likely? Not necessarily. The Bears will stub their toe somewhere along the way. New Orleans, Cincinnati and New York have all proven to be frisky even against top-tier opponents, and Baltimore could have Lamar Jackson back in the lineup for this Week 8 matchup.
But is it impossible? Of course not, especially if the Bears manage to clean up many of their self-inflicted wounds, avoid any major injuries, and continue to play as hard for Ben Johnson as they have been to start the season.