The Chicago Bears’ starting offense had a rough first practice of training camp. This is nothing unexpected. It happens when you’re trying to learn a new system. However, it was particularly humbling for them because they received the equivalent of wearing the old dunce cap when head coach Ben Johnson pulled them off the field. During drills, the offense failed to line up properly on time. Johnson told them to do it again. When they failed a second time, he pulled them off. It was another reminder of the perfectionist the Bears’ new head coach is. He has no time or patience for mental mistakes.
Did he regret the decision in hindsight? Not in the slightest. Johnson defended his thought process during his presser the following morning.
“We’re on a time crunch, as you guys all know. We got 90 minutes there that first day. We’re up 105 here today. So just need to keep things moving on along there or else other guys weren’t going to be able to get their reps. But the point is, though, we got to be on our Ps and our Qs and every minute, every rep is really valuable as well. So with that, I’ll go ahead and open it up.”
It isn’t about punishment for Johnson. He must stress the importance of time management and details to the offense. The only way to do that is by hounding them on every single rep until they get it right. That might seem militant, but it’s reality. If you want to be great in this league, you have to master the little things. This offense has not done that for years.
Ben Johnson doesn’t have time to coddle people.
He is interested in winning. Keep in mind, he left a pretty good situation with the Detroit Lions. They were a team squarely in the hunt for a Super Bowl. He came to Chicago because he wants to recreate that feeling on a grander scale. To do that, he needs the Bears’ offense to be more than below-average. Something that hasn’t happened since 2018. To do that, Ben Johnson has to step on some toes. He must make guys uncomfortable. Only when that happens will they start taking this seriously. Those who aren’t mentally tough enough to handle it won’t be around much longer—survival of the fittest. It may sound caveman, but that is the reality of professional sports. Johnson understands that on a fundamental level.
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