The Chicago Bears will have a new look offense with new head coach Ben Johnson at the helm. While there’s excitement surrounding what Johnson can do with Caleb Williams and Co., it’s still a process heading into Week 1.
Johnson played a part in turning Jared Goff’s career around with the Detroit Lions after arriving from Los Angeles in 2021. Now, in Chicago, the former Lions offensive coordinator is tasked with taking Williams to the next level in Year 2.
Before their preseason opener against the Miami Dolphins on August 10, the Bears had a tough practice. Johnson shared a concerning update on the offense, pointing to one recurring issue that’s becoming hard to ignore.
“It’s something we’re going to have to address for sure,” Johnson said (h/t Courtney Cronin of ESPN). “It showed up more today than it has in practice. This was more like a real game and if it continues like that, we’re not going to win many games.”
The offense repeatedly made the same mistakes, and the safety during the drill from the one-yard line was deemed unacceptable.
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“Execution of the play wasn’t what we wanted to be,” Johnson added. “It’s a credit to the defense — they came out and they kicked the offense’s rear in that. So that’s what showed up to me — they wanted it a little bit more.”
Johnson is working with an offense hoping to improve after the Bears ranked near the bottom in passing touchdowns (20), had the fewest passing yards (4,820), and were second to last in first downs (296), with only the Carolina Panthers having fewer.
Although Johnson has a franchise quarterback in Williams, he still needs to shape the whole offense to fit his vision. Considering how the unit performed last season, it’s a work in progress that won’t happen overnight.
It will be interesting to see how long into the season it takes for the unit to be at a level at which the coach feels it’s a well-oiled machine.
