The Chicago Bears have never been an organization known for great offenses. Head coach Ben Johnson has made it his mission to change that. Winning Super Bowls is the top priority. That won’t change. However, Johnson has other goals beyond that. He wants to build a legacy for himself and his players that people will talk about for generations. One of them is becoming the highest-scoring offense in NFL history. That honor is currently held by the 2013 Denver Broncos, who scored a record 606 points.
If you think that was just Johnson thinking big in the moment, you’d be wrong. He reiterated a similar goal when asked this week. The objective for 2026 is crystal clear. This offense plans to score every time it’s on the field.
“Well, it’s a responsibility of the offense to score every time we hit the grass, so that’s how we view it. Of course, there is complementary football. We would love to get a lead and protect a lead. If we don’t happen to play that way and we’re behind, we got to find a way to come back from behind, so we will find out a lot about this team.”
Scoring on every drive basically means the Bears would have to get at least a field goal every time they get the ball. That means averaging 3.00 points per drive for a season. For context, only 9 teams in NFL history have accomplished this feat. Eight of those nine had a Hall of Fame quarterback under center.
| Rank | Team | Points Per Drive (PPD) | Quarterback |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2007 New England Patriots | 3.37 | Tom Brady |
| 2 | 2018 Kansas City Chiefs | 3.25 | Patrick Mahomes |
| 3 | 2018 New Orleans Saints | 3.21 | Drew Brees |
| 4 | 2020 Green Bay Packers | 3.14 | Aaron Rodgers |
| 5 | 2011 New Orleans Saints | 3.08 | Drew Brees |
| 6 | 2016 Atlanta Falcons | 3.06 | Matt Ryan |
| 7 | 2011 Green Bay Packers | 3.05 | Aaron Rodgers |
| 8 | 2024 Buffalo Bills | 3.04 | Josh Allen |
| 9 | 2010 New England Patriots | 3.00 | Tom Brady |
Ben Johnson will need Caleb Williams to be great.
The Bears already took a step in the right direction. Last season marked the highest the franchise has ever had on a per-drive basis, averaging 2.26. That beat out the 2013 team’s 2.19. If they could accomplish that in Johnson’s first year as head coach, you can understand why excitement is so high for year two. If quarterback Caleb Williams takes the big step many believe he can in this system, the entire offense will benefit. That doesn’t include the ascent of other young talents like Colston Loveland and Luther Burden.
🔥 Subscribe to the Untold Chicago YouTube channel to hear Chicago legends tell stories you’ve never seen in headlines — real moments, real experiences, straight from the athletes themselves.
Urgency will also play a part in this. Ben Johnson won’t ever say it publicly, but he’s not naive. He knows the Bears are in a dubious situation defensively. The group wasn’t overly good last season despite leading the league in takeaways. It doesn’t look as if the unit improved much on paper. Two of their key guys in the secondary are out for at least another month. It isn’t just about wanting to score for Johnson. They will need to score if they’re to win most of these upcoming games.
Conditions are right for a big year.
The talent on the roster is reaching that perfect balance of youth and experience. They have one of the two or three best play callers in the game and a quarterback that can make magic happen when things break down. If everybody stays healthy, the numbers should add up quickly. Admittedly, aiming for that rare 3.00 points per drive is ambitious, but that’s the point. Johnson always wants his team to shoot for the moon. Even if you don’t reach it, you’ll end up going sky high anyway.
This is an odd period for Bears football. For decades, they’ve been a franchise known for great defenses and strong running games. Not anymore. A new era has dawned, one defined by scoring points to win. That is the way most teams do it these days. Johnson probably prefers it that way. If you think you can outscore him, then get ready for war. Few in this league are better at making you earn it.
