The praise for Ben Johnson and the new-look Chicago Bears offense continues to roll in, even when the operation itself can use some fine-tuning.
First, it was Hall-of-Fame pass rusher JJ Watt calling Johnson “the real deal” for his work with the Bears and second-year quarterback Caleb Williams. Now, it’s fellow gold jacket-wearer Kurt Warner giving his kudos.
Not only that, but Warner also says the coach that helped turn him into a Super Bowl champion (and once helmed the Bears offense) has fingerprints on Johnson’s scheme here in Chicago.
“Someone told me recently that #BenJohnson has been influenced greatly by #MikeMartz & as I continue to study the film there is no doubt!” Warner tweeted out on Monday. “The number of ways they run “PINCH” (Big In w/ Influence Post inside of it) is awesome - that’s the “Route that Built my House” & is good vs every coverage, so can’t have it enough ways IMO!!”
Someone told me recently that #BenJohnson has been influenced greatly by #MikeMartz & as I continue to study the film there is no doubt! The number of ways they run “PINCH” (Big In w/ Influence Post inside of it) is awesome - that’s the “Route that Built my House” & is good vs…
— Kurt Warner (@kurt13warner) November 24, 2025
Now that’s a blast from the past—and one that not every Bears fan will feel rosy about.
Mike Martz, who served as the team’s offensive coordinator from 2010-11, came to Chicago to get the most out of then-quarterback Jay Cutler and managed mostly, it seemed, to irk Cutler without producing spectacular on-field results. In the end, Martz’s rigidity, lack of interest in using pass-catching tight ends like Greg Olsen, and difficult attitude led to his departure after two years, which Cutler called a “breath of fresh air.”
But long before that, Martz had coached "The Greatest Show on Turf” St. Louis Rams led by Warner, winning one Super Bowl in 1999 and making it to a second in 2001. In the process, the unheralded Warner became a household name largely due to his aplomb in running the offense.
That approach has carried over to his career as an analyst, where he frequently pushes quarterbacks and offensive coordinators to read defenses completely, play on time, and call concepts that attack coverages rather than simply relying on pure read progression.
In particular, you can see the exact concept Warner is referencing if you flip on last Sunday’s game, even though Williams missed on it at least twice in this set of plays.
Nonetheless, it seems like Johnson’s approach is paying off: the Bears have one of the most explosive passing offenses in the league to this point, and they’ll only get better from here. And plenty of ball-knowers like Warner are taking notice.
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