With Ben Johnson, Bears take first step toward closing gap in NFC North
“Beat the Packers” has become almost cringe-worthy pandering to Bears fans from new Bears head coaches. But give Ben Johnson credit — his twist on that was a pretty sharp jab.
“I’ve got a tremendous amount of respect for the coaches and the players in this [division],” Johnson said at his introductory news conference Wednesday at Halas Hall. “I’ve been competing against them for the last six years. Dan Campbell, Kevin O’Connell — two guys who are up for coach of the year awards. And to be quite frank with you, I kind of enjoyed beating Matt LaFleur twice a year.”
Johnson might end up regretting that shot — if he doesn’t already. But for now, it stands as an impressive show of gumption and confidence for a rookie head coach who knows this won’t be the end of it. He will face the Packers and LaFleur twice next season, and that quote likely will be a big-and-bold part of the first Packer Week.
We don’t know much about Johnson as a head coach because he has been one for only two days, but he’s not afraid of a fight or a challenge. The NFC North — with the Lions (15-2), Vikings (14-3) and Packers (11-6) all coming off playoff seasons — was thought to be one of the reasons Johnson would not choose the Bears. As it turned out, it’s one of the reasons he did.
“I wanted to stay in this division,” said Johnson, who was 5-1 against the Packers as the Lions’ offensive coordinator in 2022-24. “I know this is the toughest division in football right now.”
The Bears (5-12) indeed have a lot of catching up to do. They not only finished in last place in the NFC North, but six games behind the third-place Packers.
But Johnson becoming the Bears’ coach helps close the gap. The Bears figure to improve — perhaps significantly — with Johnson working with Caleb Williams in his second NFL season.
When Johnson became offensive coordinator with the Lions in 2022, Jared Goff’s efficiency and production increased significantly from the 2021 season under Anthony Lynn. Goff’s touchdown passes increased from 19 to 29, his yards per attempt increased from 6.6 to 7.6 and his passer rating went from 91.5 to 99.3.
And the Lions, while still the class of the NFC North under Campbell, will at least start the 2025 season in transition without Johnson. Campbell also lost defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, who was hired as the Jets’ head coach Wednesday. And defensive-line coach Terrell Williams left to become the Patriots’ defensive coordinator under Mike Vrabel.
Johnson’s scheme, play-calling and inventiveness were big factors in the Lions’ rise to prominence in 2022-24. But so was general manager Brad Holmes’ roster building. So Johnson feels the Lions are still in good shape.
“I know that they are in our division and they’re a rival now, but that runway has been built,” he said. “Brad and Dan really built that roster up. I think they’re going to be a juggernaut. It doesn’t matter who the play-caller is anymore. That offense is going to be a good offense for the next 3-5 years.”
So Johnson literally knows what he’s up against. That’s why he’s here.
“For me as a competitor, I wanted the next challenge,” Johnson said. “And I found exactly what I was looking for here in Chicago.”