The Chicago Bears knew what they needed after firing Matt Eberflus last November. Some ugly moments had made it apparent that there was a serious lack of accountability in the locker room. Eberflus was at the heart of that. Not only did he let players slide on little things too often, but he never took responsibility for the team’s struggles, even when it was clearly his fault. Regardless of the next head coach’s background, it needed to be somebody who wouldn’t shy away from holding players to the highest standard. That is how they came around to Ben Johnson.
His renowned offensive genius was a great selling point for GM Ryan Poles, but there was more to the decision than that. Johnson had a reputation for intensity and a maniacal obsession with details. If anybody could shake up Halas Hall, it would be him. Now, after experiencing the new head coach for the past few months, team insider Adam Hoge of CHGO reached a sudden realization. Johnson’s style is the spitting image of a former Bears legend fans miss to this day.
Ben Johnson being the offensive Vic Fangio is rather poetic.
Most people agree that Fangio’s departure in 2019 is what sank the Bears’ Super Bowl hopes. His defense was among the league’s best after that 12-4 run the year before. Losing him right as things were starting to take off was a gut punch. It was hard watching him win the Super Bowl this past season with the Philadelphia Eagles, knowing that it could’ve been the Bears if fate hadn’t intervened.
Some will laugh at the comparison, pointing out Fangio was a terrible head coach in Denver. That isn’t entirely true. He went 19-30 across three seasons. While that isn’t great, it isn’t because of his coaching. The Broncos were always competitive. They just couldn’t solve the quarterback problem. Across three years, they had three different starters. Ben Johnson doesn’t have that issue. If he brings the same magic to Chicago that Fangio did, this team is in an ideal spot.
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