The Chicago Bears knew around Christmas that Ben Johnson was the guy they wanted for their next head coach. GM Ryan Poles had done exhaustive research into the Detroit Lions offensive coordinator going back several months. However, they understood that the interview process was important. They needed to know if he had the capacity to handle the title of head coach, not just an offensive play caller. So, according to Adam Jahns of The Athletic, they laid a small trap for Johnson during their meeting.
It involved putting him on the spot. They put together a specific situation that a head coach would have to face, including the score and how much time was left. Then, he was asked what he’d do. It briefly took Johnson by surprise since no other team had ever done something like it before.
That didn’t stop him from nailing it.
During Ben Johnson’s virtual interview with the Chicago Bears, the team’s committee presented a problem for him to solve. They put it on the screen.
Here’s the score. Here’s the time left in the game situation.
Then they put him on the spot.
What are you thinking? What are you telling the quarterback? What’s your play?
He was locked in.
“I actually really appreciated that — because that’s really where I’ve thrived as a play caller over the last few years — being put on the hot seat and trying to think in real time,” he said.
The game-like situation presented to Johnson made the Bears’ interview unique, he said. He wanted to share that story about it. He enjoyed the challenge as he met with the Bears’ brass on Jan. 11. In the end, it likely helped him convey more of what he wanted to get across about himself.
Ben Johnson knows exactly why the Bears did that.
He saw from both afar and up close what the organization went through last season. Matt Eberflus put on a clinic mismanaging high-stakes game situations. He called soft coverages and failed to call a timeout during the infamous Hail Mary against Washington. He failed to identify a glaring weakness in his field goal protection against Green Bay. Last but certainly not least, he failed to call a timeout with 30 seconds left after Caleb Williams took a sack, costing the Bears a chance to force overtime.
One can understand why the Bears were intent on testing their candidates’ ability to manage those situations. Eberflus probably cost them a chance at a winning season. While the approach may have been unique, Ben Johnson didn’t need long to understand why they were doing it. He aced the test regardless. Just 48 hours after the Lions were eliminated by Washington, the deal was done. Chicago had their 19th head coach in franchise history and one they’d been chasing for months.
Subscribe to the BFR Youtube channel and ride shotgun with Dave and Ficky as they break down Bears football like nobody else.
