Ben Johnson was the prize at the end of the obstacle course for every team in the NFL seeking a new coach. Everybody wants the next young offensive genius who can change the culture of a franchise overnight. Nobody expected the Chicago Bears to be that team. Why would they? This is an organization that has adhered to a rigid archetype for decades: defensive-minded and old-school. Johnson was none of those things. Yet GM Ryan Poles bucked the trend, making an all-out push to bring the Detroit Lions’ offensive coordinator to Chicago.
He succeeded.
Aided by a hefty contract and the presence of talented QB Caleb Williams, the Bears lured Johnson south. From there, the coach blew through Halas Hall like a fresh spring breeze. Everything changed. Discipline was instilled. Urgency and intensity went up. Details became an obsession. If guys didn’t do their jobs, they would hear about it. No cutting corners allowed. Most felt it would take time for things to click. Then the Bears reached 7-3 and are sitting atop the NFC North. What Johnson has done is remarkable, and Benjamin Solak of ESPN believes his impact is even greater than you realize.
He offered details on why.
Let’s recall the expectation that Johnson’s complex, motion-heavy, timing-based offense would take time to install. That Williams would need to grow into the system and Johnson would have to bend his approach to accommodate a stylistically different passer than Jared Goff. That the entire offensive line and running game required reimagining.
On these benchmarks alone, Johnson has been a smashing success. Chicago could be 2-8 right now, had all those winning drives not gone its way, and I’d still be saying it. Johnson’s status as a top-five playcaller in the league has been clearly cemented in his first season outside Detroit. The Bears’ offense works. And it is significantly ahead of schedule…
…Johnson’s commitment to building Chicago’s running game has created an easier environment for passing the football. Williams has seen base defense on 31.7% of his dropbacks, which is second most behind only Lamar Jackson; he has run a play-action fake on 32.3%, which is third behind Matthew Stafford and Daniel Jones. The pre-snap manipulation is only half of the victory, as 30.2% of Williams’ pass attempts this season have been thrown to targets tracked as “wide open” by NFL Next Gen Stats (at least 5 yards of separation). That’s the highest rate in the league, and it remains the highest if you filter out throws behind the line of scrimmage.
Ben Johnson has improved the Bears across the board.
Caleb Williams is on track to top his yards and touchdown numbers from last season while improving his overall efficiency. The completion percentage still needs improvement, but everything else has made significant progress. The running game is #2 in the NFL despite not having an elite running back to lean on. Last but not least, their situational execution is vastly improved. The Bears are 11th in 3rd down conversion rate this season, which is up from 31st last year. They also have five 4th quarter comebacks.
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All of this was made possible by Ben Johnson and his staff. Teams don’t usually undergo such rapid turnarounds like this in one season. It takes a coach a year to get everything how he wants. It’s a testament to Johnson’s ability to get players to buy in so quickly. Yes, the Bears aren’t perfect. They have work to do before they can tangle with the top teams, but the progress is undeniable.