If you go back through Chicago Bears history, there are very few cases where you could argue they employed one of the best offensive play callers in the NFL. George Halas had that reputation in his earlier days using the T-formation. Maybe Sid Gillman’s very brief stint with the team in the 1970s. Outside of that, they’ve had to make do with solid to terrible play callers. So you can imagine the sudden shift from Shane Waldron to Ben Johnson in the space of a year was more than a little jarring.
People knew the former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator was viewed as an offensive genius. What they didn’t know was whether he could carry that success into Chicago without the benefit of Detroit’s extensively talented personnel. Johnson answered that question with a resounding yes, guiding the Bears to their first top 10 ranking in 12 years. He lived up to his reputation, giving defenses fits with his blend of power running, lethal play action, and uncanny ability to bait defenses into mistakes.
Ted Nguyen of The Athletic polled defensive coaches around the league, trying to find the best play callers. Johnson ranked 3rd. From their comments, it sounds like going against him is nightmare fuel.
Ben Johnson can practically predict the future.
The trick plays are hell to deal with for defensive coordinators, but it’s the counter to the defense’s counterpunches Johnson has in his bag that are really dangerous.
“He anticipates what your counterpunch might be or what your complement to something might be and then exploits that schematically. He thinks through what might be the next thing you do to build off this (call),” an NFC defensive coach said. “And then once he kind of gets you into that next step or the next thing you’re building off of, he already has answers for that.”…
…One defensive coordinator said he struggled all week trying to figure out Johnson’s tendencies, something he says he normally can do. He said he changed his approach trying to anticipate Johnson’s counters.
The defensive coordinator noted that against Johnson, he called the same coverage several times in a row, which is something he never did, because he thought Johnson wouldn’t expect it. His tactic resulted in a takeaway, but Johnson’s offense still found ways to score. He also noted that he had a tricky red zone disguise that he can usually count on to trick most play callers and quarterbacks, but Johnson had a perfect call for it.
“Ben’s had to have some experience on the defensive side of the ball,” the coordinator said. “He knew, ‘OK, what would give this call problems?’ And he did. I thought that was good.”
Nobody will ever outwork Johnson.
Part of his secret is an insatiable drive and work ethic. He pours countless hours into film study, working to find and exploit every weakness an opposing defense has. That is why he’s so good at anticipating what defensive coaches will call in certain situations. It forces them into a dilemma. Call something they’ve never called before to throw him off, which is incredibly uncomfortable as a play caller, or hope your tried and true strategy gets it done. If they choose the latter, they often pay a heavy price.
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Few teams felt that pain more than the Green Bay Packers last season. Everybody remembers D.J. Moore’s iconic touchdown catch in overtime last December to beat them. It was later revealed that it had been carefully set up throughout the entire game. Whenever the Bears showed that formation, they would run the ball. The offense had just had runs of 7 and 11 yards, respectively, on the two previous plays. Chicago showed that formation again. Unsurprisingly, the Packers shifted to play the run, which Ben Johnson had counted on. That was why he’d called for a play action shot to Moore.
Some guys just know how to lay traps.
Certain great offensive coaches just know how to craft schemes that defenses can’t stop. Others are adept at constantly adjusting their tendencies in line with the latest league trends. For Johnson, it is his remarkable knack for laying traps for defenses to walk into. For you history buffs out there, you might remember the name, Robert E. Lee. He was the Confederacy’s most celebrated general during the Civil War. While there were many reasons for his success, his ability to read his counterparts in the Union army and anticipate their actions stood out most.
That is the best way to describe Johnson. His schematic ability is great, but his knack for reading his opponents’ defensive coaches’ minds is his superpower. You can understand why guys around the league lose sleep over the thought of facing him. It is tantamount to psychological torture. Having somebody like that on your side of the ball for once is more than a little refreshing. No wonder Bears players bought into him so quickly. He makes their lives so much easier.
