Ben Johnson came in with a plan. He knew the massive challenge in front of him when he took over the Chicago Bears. This organization has been mired in mediocrity for over a decade. They have one winning season since 2013 and no playoff victories. Not only would he have to pull the team out of the mud after years of sustained losing, but he’d have to do it while also succeeding where others failed. That is developing a young quarterback. Caleb Williams is the foundation upon which Johnson must build everything.
That means installing an offense that can maximize the quarterback but also have an identity. Williams discussed this during an interview with Stacey Dales and Brian Baldinger on NFL Network. He revealed that Johnson has two core principles for the Bears’ offense. It will be smash-mouth at its core while constantly innovating with new concepts and ideas. He believes that when you marry those two things, you will have sustained success in the NFL. It is easy to understand why players are buying in.
Caleb Williams can already see results unfolding.
The Bears’ latest practice was a clear example of what Johnson wants. It was by far the most physical two hours of practice onlookers had seen from this team in 20 years. The offense and defense slugged it out in live tackling drills, trading blows in every drill. Caleb Williams and his guys won their fair share, too. Roschon Johnson scored twice in goal-line situations while the quarterback hit Rome Odunze for a 48-yard bomb. At least four separate fights broke out. It was a level of feistiness people hadn’t seen from a Bears offense in a long time. That is the sort of smash-mouth stuff previous generations embraced from the Halas, Ditka, and Lovie eras. Johnson aims to bring it back, but with a much-needed modernization. It is so refreshing to see a head coach with a plan.
