Ben Johnson sees a winner in the Windy City, and it didn’t take him long to say as much during his introductory press conference on Wednesday as the head coach of the Chicago Bears.
Wearing a navy blue suit and orange tie, Johnson further embraced his new team by telling reporters that he sees plenty of talent on this Bears team.
“Going into this season, I felt like this place was a sleeping giant,” said Johnson, who spent the past three seasons as the offensive coordinator with the NFC North-rival Detroit Lions.
“To be honest with you, I personally was more concerned about the Chicago Bears than I was about anyone else in this division. Now there’s a number of reasons why that did not unfold, and that’s why I’m here and I’ll get to the bottom of that. We’ll see if we can’t get that corrected and cleaned up.
“But I was very encouraged with what was already on the roster right here. This division, as hard as it is, I’m really excited about competing in it.”
Johnson, 38, takes over a Bears team that floundered to a last-place finish in the division this season. Chicago lost 10 straight after its promising start, including a 23-20 defeat at Detroit on Thanksgiving Day that led to the firing of coach Matt Eberflus on Nov. 29.
Johnson will aim to improve a Bears offense that managed the fewest yards (284.6) and tied for the fourth-fewest points per game (18.2) in the NFL with rookie quarterback Caleb Williams, the top overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Williams completed 62.5 percent of his passes for 3,541 yards with 20 touchdowns and six interceptions. He also rushed for 489 yards, however he was sacked a league-high 68 times.
“It’s clear that modern football in the NFL is quarterback-driven. That is no secret,” Johnson said. “You can look at analytics, right now quarterback success is a higher predictor of winning and losing than turnover ratio — which has been for 20-plus years. That’s changed. There is no doubt, Caleb played a large component into my decision. He is a phenomenal talent that had, as many quarterbacks do, an up-and-down rookie year.
“Where I see my role is as a supporter of him. This offense will be calibrated with him in mind. We’re going to build this thing. This is not simply a dropping of a previous playbook down on the table and starting there — no. We’re ripping this thing down to the studs and we’re going to build it up with him (in mind) first and foremost, and then with the pieces around him next. I really look forward to challenging him and pushing him, as I said before, to continue to grow and develop.”
Under Johnson, Detroit boasted the league’s top scoring offense this season (33.2 points per game) and finished second in average total yards (409.5). The Lions’ points (564) and regular-season wins (15) this season were franchise records.
Now, Johnson is tasked with turning around the Bears — and he said Wednesday that he doesn’t think they are far off.
“Walking in this building yesterday gave me goosebumps,” Johnson said. “I don’t think many people understand how set up for success this place already is. This facility is outstanding. It is an A-plus facility. And I look forward to meeting all the people in this facility and getting to work.”
The Bears have not been to the playoffs since the 2020 season. Chicago has not won a playoff game since the 2010 campaign.
–Field Level Media
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