One thing experienced fans know by now is that the defense is always ahead of the offense this time of year. Defenders have an easier time adjusting to new schemes and can afford to be aggressive. Learning a new offense is complicated, requiring precise timing and execution. Nobody expected the Chicago Bears offense to do much of anything in the spring. It would probably take until halfway through the regular season before they showed any meaningful progress. Or at least that is how it normally is for them.
Ben Johnson was hired to see if he could finally bring them into the 21st century. His influence is already felt based on the latest reports from mandatory minicamps. Multiple beat writers came out of the recent Wednesday practice with the same comments. The offense has taken a considerable step forward from where they were in OTAs last month. It culminated in a two-minute drill where Caleb Williams drove them 94 yards for a touchdown with just seconds left.
Rookie running back Kyle Monangai had the winning score.
The Chicago Bears should be excited by this progress.
There was never a moment last year when it felt like the offense turned a corner, be it in minicamps, training camp, preseason, or regular season. It is noteworthy that they executed like that after practicing the system for just two weeks. Remember, the defense is far from weak. It is still a talented unit being run by an accomplished defensive coordinator. They weren’t going easy on anybody. Yes, the drive wasn’t perfect. The almost-interceptions and a would-be sack are things one shouldn’t ignore. That said, the Chicago Bears seeing this level of progress so soon shows you Johnson knows what he’s doing. He has been all over players every day about their attention to detail. Cutting corners is strictly forbidden. That message is sinking in.
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