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Darnell Wright, WR1? What to make of the Chicago Bears trick-play Thursday

Lou Canellis and Cassie Carlson break down Bears' mandatory minicamp

LAKE FOREST, Ill. - On Thursday, everything was upside down at Halas Hall.

Quarterbacks and offensive linemen were catching passes. Tight ends and wide receivers were the ones throwing passes.

Dogs and cats, living together. Mass hysteria. Well, maybe not that dramatic for the Chicago Bears. But, there was a method to the madness.

After all, Ben Johnson didn't become one of the well-regarded offensive minds in the NFL by simply calling quarterback sneaks.

"I let those guys know we only do this once a year and it's an evaluation," Johnson said Thursday. "We'll circle back in training camp and end the offseason to see who we can trust to catch the ball or throw the ball."

Big picture view:

Johnson wasn't just having fun in the sun on Thursday. He was evaluating the Bears' pieces on offense.

The offensive mad man wants to get in the lab and have some fun with the Bears' offense like he did in Detroit.

Bears fans know this well. His "Stumble Bum" play against the Bears at Soldier Field, where quarterback Jared Goff faked falling down and fumbling the ball, went for a touchdown to Sam LaPorta.

Still, other times it didn't work. Offensive tackle Penei Sewell was going to throw a pass against the Bears on Thanksgiving, but he ran out of bounds on a play that was counted as a sack.

The list doesn't end there, either.

Against Dallas at AT&T Stadium on Oct. 13, the Lions got wild in a 47-9 blowout of the Cowboys.

In that game, Johnson called plays where the Lions:

Tried throwing a pass to offensive lineman Taylor Decker on first and goal from the two-yard line.

Called a hook-and-ladder play to Sewell on second and eight from the Dallas' 10-yard line.

Had offensive lineman Dan Skipper line up at receiver and run routes

Called a trip-pitch flea-flicker pass to Sam LaPorta for a 52-yard touchdown.

This is part of Johnson's repertoire. He's trying to see what he can do with the Bears to catch teams off guard and make a solid lead into a big lead, or turn a good offensive day into a defensive embarassment.

He got a good head start on Thursday.

"I think we've got some toys to work with," Johnson said with a smile.

Who was the best?:

Believe it or not, a few guys made some great plays.

"I think there's a couple guys on the O-line that stood out," Johnson said. "Case Keenum might have made the catch of the day: Behind the back about 50 yards down the field."

Here are a few standouts from the Bears' topsy-turvy drill.

Darnell Wright:

One of the most viral moments of the week was the one-handed, back-shoulder catch Wright made.

The Bears' starting right tackle made a catch that would instantly make highlight reels.

Roschon Johnson:

Johnson took a pitch, hesitated for a second and then fired a bullet of a pass. It was on target and was a tight spiral, too.

Unfortunately, Johnson's pass was dropped. The Bears sideline groaned after the drop, too.

That shouldn't be a shock, though. Johnson originally committed to Texas to play quarterback and is Port Neches–Groves High School all-time leading passer with 7,710 pass yards.

Cole Kmet:

Kmet took a short pitch and fired an impressive pass to JP Richardson. Kmet's toss was accurate and was right on the sideline, too.

Like Johnson, it shouldn't be a surprise. Kmet was a baseball player at Notre Dame and has a pretty good arm on him.

Tyler Scott:

Unfortunately for Scott, he's not making any throws anytime soon. The third-year receiver out of Cincinnati tossed a duck when he got his chance.

His pass attempt wobbled out of his hands and sailed through the air before coming down away from the receiver. But, that's why Johnson is doing the drills.

Case Keenum:

Johnson specifically shouted out Keenum, who made a great grab by pinning the ball on his back with both hands without looking.

Doing that in a live game would break the internet, but it was fun to see in practice.

Caleb Williams:

Oh yeah, the Bears' QB1 got in on the action too.

Williams hauled in a long pass from Devin Duvernay with one arm. Everyone knows the "Philly Special" originated in Chicago, right? A Week 17 touchdown pass from then-receiver Cam Meredith to then-quarterback Matt Barkley?

Who knows if there's a chance it'll make a comeback in Johnson's offense?

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