Ben Johnson delivered one of the NFL’s best offenses for three years in Detroit. The numbers speak for themselves. Perhaps what stood out the most about it was that the Lions did it without any true superstar. Sure, they had some really good players like Amon-Ra St. Brown, Sam LaPorta, and Jahmyr Gibbs, but nobody you’d classify as elite. It was truly an offense that was greater than the sum of its parts, and Johnson was the primary reason for its success. If you don’t think so, ask Jon Gruden.
If anybody knows about offensive football, it’s him. Once upon a time, the former Super Bowl champion was widely considered one of the brightest minds in the league. His mere presence turned the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from playoff disappointment to champions. He got top five offenses from Ty Detmer and Bobby Hoying. Derek Carr played the two best seasons of his career under Gruden’s watch. So when the man says the Chicago Bears have a mastermind of offensive football as head coach, you best listen.
Ben Johnson has already shown you snippets of what’s coming.
His ability to use play action was already well-documented, and he turned it loose multiple times against Buffalo last week. Caleb Williams was lethal with it. Chicago never utilized it to any extent last season. Ben Johnson used it more than anybody in the NFL. He is a massive believer in marrying the run game with the passing game. Given his success, it is hard to argue with that. Gruden should know. He rarely got enough credit for how deadly his offense could be with play action. Perhaps he sees some of himself in Johnson. The excitement is hard to miss. Nobody has felt that way about a Bears head coach in a long time. Plenty of proving remains ahead. Still, this is the first one to feel right in years.
