Forget Ball Control: Ben Johnson Has A Far More Cutthroat Vision For The Bears’ Run Game

Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson is not your normal offensive wizard. For decades, people have associated that title with coaches who were ardent advocates of the passing game. The more electric you made the quarterback, the higher standing you held in the NFL. So you can imagine the surprise when Johnson stepped to the podium and stated that his focus would be on running the ball. It was jarring to hear something like that from a man deemed one of the two or three best play callers in football.

Bears fans have heard that statement before. Most of the previous head coaches in modern franchise history have said the same thing. They were going to run the ball, control the clock, and minimize turnovers. Efficiency is the name of the game. New Bears offensive coordinator Press Taylor was asked about this during his latest presser at Halas Hall. He immediately shut down any idea that Johnson’s goal with the running game was efficiency or clock management. It’s all about finding every way possible to attack the defense.

“I don’t think Ben has ever mentioned the word efficiency. We talk about explosive. We are trying to attack a defense. I think there’s a perception of a lot of people, we’re gonna run the ball, we’re gonna stay efficient and control the clock. We are looking to attack the defense. We are looking to attack fronts, to expose space, to create run lanes, to create explosives and we don’t look at the run game as a way to stay on track. We look at the run game as a way to attack defenses and really be explosive and continue to just put our foot on the gas the entire game.”

Ben Johnson brought a new way of thinking to old school football.

Many greats of the game have stated that the true essence of football is running the ball and stopping the run. If you do that, your chances of winning are much higher. Yet in an era where quarterbacks reign supreme, most consider that line of thinking outdated. At one point, some even theorized that the run game would eventually go extinct. What they failed to grasp is that the NFL is a league of constant adaptation. It was only a matter of time before defenses learned to adapt their personnel and schemes to make life difficult for quarterbacks.

That left offensive coaches with a choice. Double down on the passing game or adjust their way of thinking. If defenses were geared up to focus on stopping the pass, logic dictated they should look to run the ball more. Ben Johnson has been one of the leading proponents of that revolution. However, his goal wasn’t about just easing pressure on the quarterback and keeping the defense honest. He wanted to weaponize the running game. If it could produce big plays at a similar clip to the passing game, defenses would have no choice but to respect it.

What Johnson accomplished in 2025 cannot be overstated.

Chicago ranked 3rd in explosive run plays. The two teams ahead of them, Buffalo and Baltimore, both had Pro Bowl running backs, James Cook and Derrick Henry. The Bears made it happen with D’Andre Swift, a good but not great player, and rookie 7th round pick Kyle Monangai. Of course, they were also aided a few times by quarterback Caleb Williams, who used his considerable mobility for a few big plays as well. Johnson used those ingredients to brew a concoction that defenses weren’t ready for.

That isn’t even the craziest part. By his own admission, Johnson used maybe about a quarter of his full playbook last season so as not to overwhelm the players. He wasn’t even digging deep into his bag most of the year. That is the terrifying part. Now that the team is much more acclimated to the system, he figures to add even more layers to an already deadly rushing attack. Don’t be surprised if the Bears top that explosive runs mark of 18 this season.