Facts are facts. Ben Johnson wouldn’t have the Chicago Bears job right now if Matt Eberflus were competent enough. Getting fired in less than three seasons by this organization is an all-time low for any head coach. There were so many reasons he got fired. Late-game management, constant mental errors by players, and zero accountability all played big parts. Of course, most will remember his incredible mismanagement of the offense above all. Hiring Luke Getsy and Shane Waldron as his offensive coordinators will go on his NFL tombstone.
One thing that became clear at Johnson’s latest press conference was that he is unimpressed with the work done last year with Caleb Williams. So much so that the Bears’ head coach admitted that nothing his quarterback learned last year will be carried over to 2025. This season will basically be a complete reset.
“There really isn’t a ton of carryover from what he was asked to do. The play calls or anything of that nature… Now we’re asking him to be a little bit more structured in terms of the play calls… There’s a lot more going on mentally than probably there’s ever been for him. So at some point, this thing will start slowing down, and he’s going to be able to catch up and his physical ability will take over from there.”
Johnson’s admission made it clear that whatever Waldron and the previous staff tried to teach was completely useless. There was no structure or purpose behind what they ran. That is a cardinal sin for any coach.
Ben Johnson is intent on teaching Williams the purpose of everything.
His offense in Detroit was designed to be complementary. A strong rushing attack led to play action. Play action led to big plays down the field. Every receiver must run precise routes to create space where required. Anybody who doesn’t do their job doesn’t play. The quarterback is responsible for managing the chaos. They must run the play in a timely manner, getting to the line of scrimmage with enough time to assess the defense. Once he knows what they’re showing, he must adjust the play if necessary and run it.
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From there, it is about getting the ball to the open man on time. It sounds simple, but Ben Johnson knows the only way for a quarterback to reach true mastery is through relentless hard work. That is why he’s grinding Williams every day. The previous staff seemed unwilling to do that.
