Let’s drop our perpetual skepticism and name it prefer it apparently is: The Bears received the job-search derby and acquired the most well liked head-coaching prospect on the planet, 38-year-old former Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson.
A reported math whiz who possible sees formations and blocking schemes as so many blips on a pc display, Johnson was coveted for his creativity by a number of NFL groups, notably the Jaguars, Patriots (who employed Mike Vrabel) and Raiders. However Raiders oddball proprietor Mark Davis and TV analyst/co-owner Tom Brady, with all that new hair and enamel, may need frightened him away.
Oh, and the very fact the Raiders don’t have a quarterback price a rattling needed to be an element, too. A giant one. What the Bears provided Johnson, above all, was Caleb Williams.
It’s the surest signal of hope for this depressing crew, the attention that Johnson took the Bears’ job figuring out full properly what he’s entering into. Merely put, the Bears destroy quarterbacks and head coaches the way in which Orkin destroys crawling pests. It’s the world of the McCaskeys, and it has been a foul one for a few years.
However issues can change. If we didn’t imagine that, we’d nonetheless be smoking cigarettes in eating places and dialing large telephones. Apparently, sometimes Scrooge-like chairman George McCaskey loosened the purse strings and gave Johnson a hefty contract. In order that’s good.
Certainly, it might appear no person would wish to change the Bears’ tradition of dropping — don’t neglect these 10 losses in a row this season — greater than the McCaskey clan, which has managed the franchise going again to founder George Halas. It may’t be enjoyable strolling round city and all the time getting the stink-eye from of us, .
Additionally on the brilliant aspect, we all know that Johnson reportedly turned down interviews with a variety of groups final yr, deciding to stick with the Lions and pursue the Tremendous Bowl. That dream acquired derailed by a number of stuff this season, primarily accidents, however Johnson’s experience was on full show. His quarterback, retread Jared Goff, put up dazzling passing numbers, and the Lions’ offense was thought of the very best within the league. The Lions averaged a league-high 29 factors the final three seasons with Johnson main the offense. The Bears’ offense? Don’t ask.
However we’re all about optimism now, so consider what the Bears have shifting ahead: a No. 1 general decide in Williams, a stable group of pass-catchers in DJ Moore, Keenan Allen, Rome Odunze and Cole Kmet, a reasonably respectable protection, a secure entrance workplace, a pleasant apply facility and a cool historical past going again to George Trafton, Dick Butkus, Gale Sayers and Walter Payton.
However an offensive line? Uh, no. And one factor Johnson had with the Lions was a first-rate O-line. A variety of these finesse performs and trick performs that labored for Goff may not work so properly when Williams is working for his life two seconds after the snap. The distinction between an incredible play and a awful one is execution as a result of nearly each play is designed, carried out completely, to go for a landing.
Johnson ran some actual beauts towards the Bears this season. But when the Bears had run those self same performs, properly, you’ve doubts. There was a lot anger and disgust Oct. 27 after the Bears handed the ball to 300-pound backup heart Doug Kramer on the aim line towards the Commanders, trailing 12-7, and by some means the change between Williams and Kramer busted right into a misplaced fumble.
Virtually that very same play, run by the Bears in 1985 with 320-pound defensive sort out William ‘‘The Fridge’’ Perry blasting over the aim line, was acknowledged as genius. The distinction? No fumble.
We’ll hope Johnson can deal with these particulars, which possibly must do with targeted apply, with self-discipline, with tradition, with the evil soccer gods. It has been so lengthy for the reason that Bears had been a pressure, we simply don’t know what to assume.
Phrase is Johnson is a stickler for element. If the man, at age 14, acquired an ideal rating on the Mathematical Affiliation of America’s AMC 8 examination, which he reportedly did, and majored in math and pc science in faculty, which he did, he may be up for this new position. However he by no means has been a head coach. And he by no means has been a Bear.
Then once more, he by no means has misplaced a recreation as a head coach, both. So it’s a contented day.
