Matt Forte drew some surprised reactions a few weeks ago. The running back stated in an interview that Ben Johnson reminds him a lot of Mike Martz as an offensive play caller. His ability to disguise the true intentions of his plays, making passes look like runs and runs look like passes, was what made his offense so hard to defend. Forte believes Johnson does the same thing. Everything looks the same. Defenses can’t pin down what is coming, which is why receivers always seem open, and there are consistent rushing lanes.
There is no greater authority on the Martz offense than Kurt Warner. The Hall of Fame quarterback won two MVP awards and a Super Bowl in that system in the early 2000s. He knows it inside and out. Someone finally told him about the comparisons to Johnson’s offense. After taking time to watch, Warner confirmed Forte’s assessment.
Martz got plenty of criticism after he left the Rams, with people calling his system outdated. In truth, he was still a great play caller. The problem was that he often took over teams that were limited in talent. It’s hard to do much when John Kitna, Shaun Hill, and J.T. O’Sullivan are your quarterbacks.
Ben Johnson is doing more with less.
He had a wealth of riches in Detroit last season and put together the best offense in the NFL, the best in franchise history. Most expected he couldn’t duplicate similar success in Chicago. The Bears rank 8th in points and 6th in total yards with six games left. They have the #2 rushing offense in the NFL. Only great play callers pull things like that off. Martz did when he took over the Rams in 1999. Warner was a backup with zero playing experience that year. He threw over 40 touchdowns.
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This should help people understand the magnitude of what the Bears have done. Play callers of this caliber are exceedingly rare in the NFL. They’re essentially the gold mine everybody searches for and would kill to obtain. Somehow, the Bears became the team that made it happen. Now they stand to reap the benefits for years to come.
