Ben Johnson’s hire as the new head football coach of the Chicago Bears promises to be transformative, especially regarding Caleb Williams. Johnson comes to Chicago with an impressive resume of success with the Detroit Lions. He helped turn around a sad-sack Detroit team into one of the most explosive scoring machines in the National Football League.
Johnson’s tenure as the Lions’ offensive coordinator from 2022 to 2024 saw Detroit average 29 points per game, the NFL’s best. The Lions had experienced decades with one of the worst offenses in the NFL.
Johnson experienced his best success in 2024, when the Lions led the NFL in points (32.4) and offensive touchdowns (68). Detroit averaged 409.5 yards per game, a franchise record. The high-octane attack paved the way for the Lions’ 15-2 record, a remarkable turnaround from the years down in the game’s dregs.
An erratic stint with the Los Angeles Rams made Jared Goff a failed former top pick in the NFL Draft. The Rams couldn’t get rid of him quickly enough, adding him as trade filler in the deal for Matthew Stafford. Few thought he could put up numbers approaching Stafford’s; otherwise, why would Los Angeles deal him away with a bounty of draft picks?
Once Johnson took over the Lions offense in 2022, not only did Goff approach Stafford, but he blew past him. In each season, Goff threw for over 4,400 yards and averaged 32 touchdowns. In 2024, he exploded, throwing 37 TDs and maintaining a passing rating of 111.8.
Johnson coaches his offenses to be daring and creative. He has an extensive playbook with numerous trick plays, which he uses anytime. He believes he will succeed, and he instills this same faith in his players. Goff thrived under this coaching, turning from a discarded part into one of the game’s better quarterbacks.
Under the McCaskeys, especially since the foolish firing of Mike Ditka in 1993, the Bears have continuously hired incompetent head coaches. Fans cringe at the mention of names like Dave Wannstedt, Dick Jauron, Marc Trestman, and Matt Nagy.
The worst, though, was Matt Eberflus; his hire surprised many. He didn’t fail to live down to the diminished expectations as his head coaching, especially game management, equated to a deer in headlights.
Eberflus lost any train of thought in close games, especially as they got down to the end. He refused to call a timeout late after Williams got sacked and with his team driving for a game-tying field goal against Detroit. The clock instead bled away in a brutal Thanksgiving loss to the Lions. Eberflus followed up by failing to use a timeout to help his kicker, Cairo Santos, get a closer game-winning field goal attempt against the Green Bay Packers. Unsurprisingly, Santos’ long-range try was blocked, and another excruciating defeat occurred.
Eberflus could write books on how to bungle games with mind-boggling late-game management, but his worst was the Hail Mary disaster against the Washington Commanders.
Chicago was 4-2 and about to lock up a hard-fought 15-12 win over the Commanders. All they had to do was focus on stopping Washington’s last-ditch effort from the Commanders’ 24-yard line with 19 seconds left.
Eberflus chose to play his secondary back, allowing several completions, then decided not to call a timeout to regroup his team. Most inexplicably, he failed to see cornerback Tyrique Stevenson talking trash to opposing fans rather than concentrate on defending the final play. He failed to get back in time to stop the Hail Mary attempt, leading to a crushing defeat and a subsequent 10-loss streak.
Eberflus downplayed the Hail Mary debacle as he did his other numerous brain-lock moments. He picked a horrific offensive coordinator, Shane Walton, who never connected with Williams and failed to implement competent offensive plans or call plays that stood a chance of working. This is what Williams had to endure in his rookie season.
Williams, like Goff, is a former top pick in the NFL Draft. Williams came into the league with much more hype as a former Heisman Trophy winner. Many insiders looked at him as one of the better QB prospects in years. Williams exudes confidence and flair, which generates much attention.
Much of the scrutiny Williams generates borders on the nonsensical. Too much focus is placed on what he does with his nails, and a poor practice drill in throwing a football through a standing target.
Critics should realize Williams never had a chance for success with the Eberflus clownery and a poorly crafted offensive line. Williams was under fire all season long, and his coaches helped little.
Williams has gone from that to Johnson, who has an exemplary record in crafting high-octane offenses. He has never been tasked with developing a young quarterback until coming to Chicago, but Johnson has been eying the opportunity to work with Williams for years. He embraces the challenge.
Johnson took Goff, who doesn’t have anywhere near the ceiling of Williams, and made him an upper-level QB. Why can’t he create a similar rise in one of the better prospects in years, the best the Bears have ever had? Williams said he wanted to be coached hard and missed that last season.
Johnson has given Williams what he asked for: intense coaching that pushes players through meticulous preparation and demanding standards. The last time Chicago had anything like this, it was under Mike Ditka.
Many have been quick to jump on Williams for every missed practice throw, any poor body language, and any practice stalls against an attacking Dennis Allen Bears defense. It’s only fair then to gush a bit over his performance against the Buffalo Bills, as he led an exceptional opening drive.
Williams completed five out of six passes for 97 yards and a touchdown; he used multiple weapons and new toys such as Colston Loveland. Williams looked confident and in command while the offense played explosively.
Critics will be quick to say it was only preseason, even though many are quick to jump on any negative Williams play this time of year. The Bills sat their regulars, so yes, the Bears went up against Buffalo subs during that opening drive. This happened often last preseason, too, and Chicago didn’t capitalize. The offense looked disjointed while the coaches appeared clueless. It portended a horrific season on the horizon.
The Bears have never had a coach like Johnson. George Halas walked the sidelines for decades and became one of the game’s greatest coaches, but he was never known as a young up-and-coming hotshot. Since then, Chicago, outside of Ditka, has leaned towards picking coaches who are cheap and bland. Their offense stayed stuck in the early 20th century while the 21st was well underway.
Johnson is no guarantee; he will be coaching in arguably the NFL’s toughest division. All three divisional rivals made the playoffs last year and stand a strong chance of doing so again. The Bears could be considerably improved and still finish in last.
Even if that happens, what matters is a culture change. Many have commented on Johnson’s intensity late in a preseason game which Chicago was up 38 points.
This should be welcomed, too often over the last couple of decades, Bears fans have been saddled with head coaches who looked better suited to try out for a remake of the Three Stooges. The leaders have been clueless, passionless, and too ready to accept and excuse defeats. It created a trickle-down effect on the players, and years of misery have ensued.
No one must rein in Chicago fans who have been hardened by decades of adversity. This year marks 40 seasons since the legendary Super Bowl Shuffle Bears team, possibly the greatest single-season squad ever. Mostly misery has followed. The Chicago faithful have too often had to stifle any hope with disaster right around the corner.
If the fanbase wants to get excited about a head coach who demands much from his players and scowls in a preseason game, so be it. If the Bears legion wants to believe they can finally have a franchise quarterback for the first time since Sid Luckman, let them. Chicago has not had a coach who could elevate a quarterback since Halas got excellence out of Luckman, and it just might be happening again with Johnson for Williams. Instead of skepticism, let hope reign!
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