Ben Johnson had some amazing success in Detroit with the Lions. Almost overnight, he transformed their offense from deflated sandbag to one of the NFL’s most feared. He did this with excellent play calling, creative personnel usage, and relentless intensity. One of his greatest strengths is said to be his attention to detail. Stories about him have led to a rather lofty comparison to late Hall of Famer Bill Walsh, the architect of the San Francisco 49ers dynasty of the 1980s. He is still revered as arguably the greatest offensive mind in NFL history.
One of the reasons for that wasn’t his overall genius but more his uncompromising approach to details. There is a famous story of him during a 49ers practice. Joe Montana threw a downfield pass to Jerry Rice that the receiver corralled over the shoulder with his hands against his chest. Offensive coordinator Mike Holmgren called it a good throw. Walsh immediately disagreed. He ordered Montana and Rice to run the play again. This time, he wanted the ball out six inches in front of the receiver’s chest. The idea was clear: it must be in stride every time. People thought he was crazy, but that was how Walsh ensured his offense always ran with such precision.
It seems Johnson is the same way.
Adam Jahns of CHGO shared new details of an exchange between the head coach and quarterback Caleb Williams. It perfectly illustrates how Walsh-like the man is.
Seeing Johnson yell “faster” at Williams as he went through his reads during a spring practice – despite making a completion for a first down – still feels notable. Williams wasn’t good enough. Johnson wanted better. He expected more from his starter.
Trestman didn’t operate that way in his first year. And neither did Nagy, at least not in those on-the-field moments where everyone could hear and see him on the field.
Johnson seems to have the brains of Trestman and some of the swagger and energy of Nagy, including some of the same confidence in news conferences.
Ben Johnson is exactly what the Bears needed.
One of the biggest criticisms of the previous coaching staff (and those before them) was their unerring consistency in allowing constant mistakes. Self-inflicted wounds were the calling card every Bears season. It often felt less like other teams were beating them so much as it was the Bears beating themselves. Ben Johnson seems to recognize this reality, having lived it for years in Miami and Detroit. Losing to a good opponent is one thing. Losing because you can’t execute properly is inexcusable. Walsh never stood for it. He would cut guys for game-changing infractions. Johnson is the same way. Whether you’re a star or a backup doesn’t matter. You will do things the right way, or you can expect to get shouted at.
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