Matt Forte drew some surprised reactions a few weeks ago. The running back stated in an interview that Ben Johnson reminds him a lot of Mike Martz as an offensive play caller. His ability to disguise the true intentions of his plays, making passes look like runs and runs look like passes, was what made his offense so hard to defend. Forte believes Johnson does the same thing. Everything looks the same. Defenses can’t pin down what is coming, which is why receivers always seem open, and there are consistent rushing lanes.

There is no greater authority on the Martz offense than Kurt Warner. The Hall of Fame quarterback won two MVP awards and a Super Bowl in that system in the early 2000s. He knows it inside and out. Someone finally told him about the comparisons to Johnson’s offense. After taking time to watch, Warner confirmed Forte’s assessment.

Martz got plenty of criticism after he left the Rams, with people calling his system outdated. In truth, he was still a great play caller. The problem was that he often took over teams that were limited in talent. It’s hard to do much when John Kitna, Shaun Hill, and J.T. O’Sullivan are your quarterbacks.

Ben Johnson is doing more with less.

He had a wealth of riches in Detroit last season and put together the best offense in the NFL, the best in franchise history. Most expected he couldn’t duplicate similar success in Chicago. The Bears rank 8th in points and 6th in total yards with six games left. They have the #2 rushing offense in the NFL. Only great play callers pull things like that off. Martz did when he took over the Rams in 1999. Warner was a backup with zero playing experience that year. He threw over 40 touchdowns.

This should help people understand the magnitude of what the Bears have done. Play callers of this caliber are exceedingly rare in the NFL. They’re essentially the gold mine everybody searches for and would kill to obtain. Somehow, the Bears became the team that made it happen. Now they stand to reap the benefits for years to come.

Caleb Williams is having a good year. He’s thrown 16 touchdowns to just four interceptions and is on track for over 3900 passing yards. By any metric, it is shaping up to be one of the past passing seasons in Chicago Bears history. However, some people aren’t happy with it. Williams’ completion percentage (59.7%) is even lower than his rookie season, underscoring the accuracy issues he still hasn’t resolved. Fans are concerned about whether he can fix the issue. Still, nobody can deny that he has made progress. Do his teammates agree? Cole Kmet had some thoughts on that.

ESPN’s Dan Graziano spoke to the tight end about his quarterback and if he sees any significant improvements. Kmet didn’t need to think long for an answer.

I asked Bears tight end Cole Kmet what specific improvements he has seen in quarterback Caleb Williams in his second season and he told me, “His command of the huddle, just the way he’s commanding it and getting the playcall out, has been night and day from last year. That doesn’t sound like a big deal, but when you think about what these guys are asked to do in college, where they’re looking over at the sideline and SpongeBob or whoever is on the posterboard, versus now when Ben Johnson is giving you two, three complicated playcalls at a time and you’ve got to spit all of that out to us with confidence in the huddle, it’s just all a lot smoother and more confident from him this year.”

This is often the hardest part for young quarterbacks to master.

College offenses these days put all of the power in the hands of the coaches. Rather than send out a play call to the quarterback and let him make the decisions, they have a set of cardboard images to reveal what call they want run. The QB then runs what is called. While that works in college, it does a poor job of preparing players for the NFL. Many quarterbacks are overwhelmed by the sheer volume of plays and the accompanying verbiage in the playbooks at this level.

That is why Williams looked uncertain so often last season. The big difference this year is that head coach Ben Johnson showed him no mercy. From the moment training camp began, he drilled the quarterback relentlessly, feeding him plays “with a fire hose” as it was put. The message was simple. He’d either learn it or die. Williams met the challenge.

Cole Kmet seems to have had doubts about Williams.

That is not to say the tight end dislikes his quarterback. Far from it. However, last year was a wake-up call for Williams on how long it might take to learn what the NFL is really like. The fact that he’s starting to look like a true professional before his second season is even over is both a shock and a relief. Cole Kmet had already been through multiple quarterbacks in his career. The last thing he wanted was another flameout who just couldn’t grasp what he was doing.

For the first time in over a decade, it looks like the Bears at least have stability at quarterback. That is a massive step in the right direction. We won’t know if Williams is a true star or not until he’s been in this offense for another year or two. That is the usual progression it takes. Still, the indications are good.

Beating the Philadelphia Eagles is never easy. Not only do they have a loaded roster thanks to GM Howie Roseman, but they have also maintained a high-quality coaching staff. At the heart of it is defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. Chicago Bears fans know him well. When he has the horses to work with, his defense is a nightmare to go against. Not much has changed this year as they rank 8th in points allowed. If Ben Johnson hopes to solve that puzzle, he’ll need something up his sleeve that the Eagles aren’t ready for.

Adam Hoge of CHGO believes the Bears’ head coach has it. Best of all, it’s a core part of Johnson’s entire offensive structure.

This all sets up to be a game won in the trenches. The Bears’ revamped offensive line against the Eagles’ well-established defensive line. And while they probably won’t go 1-on-1 a lot, Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter (drafted No. 9 overall in 2023) vs. Bears right tackle Darnell Wright (drafted one spot behind Carter after the teams swapped picks) is something to watch. And if you’re looking for weaknesses in the Eagles’ defense, they struggle against two-tight-end looks and play action, two areas Johnson’s offense excels in. So if the Bears can get things going up front, the explosives through play-action might follow.

No coach in the NFL loves using play action more than Johnson. They are 3rd in the NFL in play-action passing attempts, racking up 815 yards. Philadelphia proved their struggles in their most recent loss to Dallas. Dak Prescott utilized play action several times in the game, going for 354 yards and two touchdowns. You can bet Johnson took extensive notes from that game.

Ben Johnson should be looking to target the Eagles’ safeties.

They’ve been the weak link in coverage all season. Rookie Andrew Mukuba is out with an injury, while Sydney Brown hasn’t been much better, allowing a 103.1 passer rating. The Cowboys had some success using tight end Jake Ferguson in their comeback last week. One can imagine Ben Johnson will be more than willing to feature Colston Loveland and Cole Kmet. The best part is he can use them both as blockers and receivers. They never have to come off the field, which makes them much harder to defend.

Will it be enough? That is hard to tell. For play action to work, the Bears must commit to the run and get decent protection. The first part is easy. The second? That is more challenging against Philadelphia’s talented front. This is one of those games where Johnson must bring his best because the Bears don’t have the horse to slug it out with an opponent of this caliber.

The Chicago Bears and Philadelphia Eagles don’t have what you’d call a traditional rivalry. While both are NFC teams, they don’t meet often and actually tend to share a lot of similarities. However, that hasn’t stopped some crazy stuff from happening when they face off. There was the infamous Fog Bowl in 1988 when the game was played in an impenetrable mist. You had Brian Griese’s wild comeback in 2007. Last but certainly not least, there was the brutal Double Doink in 2018.

Something always seems to happen when these two teams get together. It sounds like more madness is on the way. New weather reports suggest things could get somewhat interesting at Lincoln Financial Field. While it won’t be overly cold, the problem will be the wind. Gusts of anywhere from 30-40 mph are expected. Put simply?

Pass at your own risk.

There is a strong likelihood that throws will be pushed all over the place in this game. That means whichever team manages to run the ball well may have a good chance to take advantage.

The Chicago Bears have had more success in this department.

Though the Eagles still have Saquon Barkley, it’s been the Chicago Bears who have found an identity running the ball this season. They are 2nd in rushing yards. Some of that is thanks to Caleb Williams‘ scrambling ability, but not nearly as much as Justin Fields in 2022 or 2023. D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai have been a highly capable pairing. Friday presents an interesting challenge. Philadelphia is 18th against the run this year, but they’ve been stiffer against it over the past five weeks, allowing over 100 yards only twice.

There is no question that Vic Fangio will make it his mission to stop Chicago’s ground game, hoping to put the pressure on Williams to carry the load. Doing so in those conditions isn’t ideal. No doubt the Bears hope to do the same against Philly’s offense. Unfortunately, their injury-decimated linebacking corp will make that a tall order.

The Chicago Bears head into their matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles riding momentum, confidence, and a defense that continues to overachieve. If there was ever a week for bold predictions, this is it — and Chicago might just have the perfect recipe for an upset.

Caleb Williams sets the tone early.

Weather conditions may make throwing difficult, but that won’t stop Williams from getting Chicago out to a fast start. Whether it’s quick-game concepts, rollouts, or extending plays with his legs, Williams sparks an early touchdown drive or two that puts the Bears up before Philly can settle in.

Kyle Monangai and D’Andre Swift combine for 150 rushing yards.

With potential rain and wind in the forecast, the Bears lean heavily on their backfield duo. Monangai’s physicality and Swift’s burst prove to be a nightmare for Philly’s front. Between zone runs, and counters, Chicago finds consistent chunk gains on the ground thanks also in part to the offensive line.

Nahshon Wright keeps the takeaway streak alive.

Is it bold? Maybe not anymore. Wright is playing at an elite level, and this feels like another “bait the quarterback” type of game. Jalen Hurts has shown moments of risky deep-ball aggression this season, and Wright jumps one — snagging yet another interception.

C.J. Gardner-Johnson takes on a hybrid LB role.

With injuries piling up at linebacker, expect Johnson to see more box snaps, and giving Chicago added speed in the middle of the field.

Final Prediction: Bears 27, Eagles 26.

Another nail-biter but a statement win for Chicago.

Are the Chicago Bears About to Shock the NFL?

One thing Dennis Allen is not is fooled. He isn’t one of those people who look at the stat rankings and assume his job is about to get easy. The Philadelphia Eagles may only be 23rd in passing this season, but the Chicago Bears‘ defensive coordinator isn’t stupid enough to assume that means they’re not a threat. The Eagles offense is loaded with quality pass-catchers, headlined by A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, and Dallas Goedert. That doesn’t include the sneaky dangerous Jahan Dotson.

Stopping them is no easy task, which is why the latest news from Ian Rapoport is so welcome. The Bears are activating cornerbacks Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon off Injured Reserve. Both will play on Friday. It will be the first time the two star defenders have played together all season, and it will be the closest Chicago has been to full strength in the secondary since last year. The timing couldn’t be better as they stare down the defending Super Bowl champions.

Dennis Allen can finally deploy some of his most lethal stuff.

One thing that was always clear about his defenses in New Orleans was that he preferred to rely on man coverage. It permitted him to throw more creative pressure packages at opposing quarterbacks, often to great effect. That hasn’t been possible this season because of the injuries. Having Johnson and Gordon back changes things. Both are highly capable in man coverage, meaning Dennis Allen can deploy them on almost any receiver and expect them to hold things down. That means Jaquan Brisker, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, and the linebackers will have more freedom to attack the quarterback.

It won’t guarantee a victory, but it should make life more difficult for Jalen Hurts, who tends to falter when his protection isn’t clean.