“If things came easy, then everybody would be great at what they did, let’s face it.” This is what Mike Ditka once said. What a legendary coach that guy was for the Bears’. Winning the Superbowl as the Bears HC for the first time ever! And these words from him are something that the new Bears head coach, Ben Johnson might have to keep in mind. YES! The ex-Lions offensive coordinator has now officially taken charge of the Bears as the HC. After joining, he spent no time talking about the star QB of the Bears.

In a press conference, Johnson claimed that QBs drive modern football. He mentioned this when asked about Caleb Williams. Johnson went on to add, “Offense will be calibrated with Williams in mind.” Well, we love where this is going. He also went on to explain that the “other pieces will be placed according to that.” This guy is here because he has some clarity on what needs to be done for the Bears to have an upcoming NFL season full of victories.

“We’re going to have to spend a lot of time together. The quarterback has to see the game through the play caller’s eyes. This is not simply a dropping of a previous playbook down on the table and starting there.” Johnson’s message to Caleb Williams was clear: they will work closely together to ensure the offense is built around Williams. He is talking about what needs to be done on priority and his statement hasn’t come out of the moon. The QB’s performance in the 2024 season had many holes that Johnson wants to fill.

Williams has shown flashes of brilliance, but his overall stats this season weren’t great. He had 3,541 passing yards, 20 touchdowns, and six interceptions. His quarterback rating stands at 87.8 which isn’t great either. Especially if you compare it to the likes of Lamar Jackson, Jared Goff, or Jalen Hurts who comfortably sit above 100. So Johnson’s comment on him is a sign that the HC is going to focus on the offense and the QB.

Ben Johnson has something to say as he walks into the Bears’ den

Johnson was as excited as a kid in a candy store after joining the Bears camp. While talking about the Bears training facility, Johnson remarked, “walking in this building yesterday gave me goosebumps.” He added saying, “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.” It looks like someone’s got their dream office. It’s Ben’s promotion from an offensive coordinator to HC and he has rightfully earned it.

Folks who know Ben Johnson’s record as the Lions’ offensive coordinator are excited to see him as the new head coach. With him at the helm, the Lions’ offense led the league in points and yards in the 2024 season. Plus, in each of his three seasons with the Lions, his offense was always in the top five for total offense and points. But now, he’s got an even tougher challenge ahead with the Bears.

While holding this new position, he has replaced Thomas Brown. The Bears made Brown the interim head coach after firing Matt Eberflus. His firing came due to poor end-of-game decision-making and an inability to manage the clock effectively. This happened against the Detroit Lions, where he failed to utilize the timeouts.

To give fans some perspective, the Bears last had a playoff game during the 2020 NFL season. To make matters worse, they won their last playoff game in 2010 against the Seahawks. The current situation is not helping either. Their offense has been inconsistent, with an inability to reach the end zone in recent games.  The Bears have roped him in specifically for these challenges, and looking at his past record, he’s got it covered. Who can forget Goff’s career resurgence? He threw for 37 touchdowns and achieved a career-high passer rating of 111.8. This happened during Johnson’s tenure. The Lions averaged 33.2 points per game, which made them number one. Well, don’t be surprised if the Bears make this list next season.