In case people haven’t already noticed, new head coach Ben Johnson is not what you’d call subtle. Since taking over the Chicago Bears in January, he has been very deliberate with his words. There is no dancing around subjects. When he has a message to deliver, he will give it to you straight. Caleb Williams, Cole Kmet, Rome Odunze, and D.J. Moore found that out at his opening press conference when he told them to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. Those who know him said he’s intense and a grinder. That is proving true.
He proved it again on Thursday when he and GM Ryan Poles spoke to the media about recent roster additions, headlined by three new offensive linemen. At one point, Johnson was asked what he could do to help make life easier for those men as they transitioned to Chicago. The head coach seemed to balk at the idea of making anything easy for anybody. In his mind, football is hard. Anything in life worth doing is hard. He has no intentions of making things easy for them. They will be put under the same demands he puts on himself.
No shortcuts.
Ben Johnson understands what it takes to excel at this level.
Sure, talent is a big part of it. However, most players can’t be expected to motivate themselves to work hard. The head coach must be demanding and persistent in everything they do. Every little detail matters in this game. One of the big reasons Matt Eberflus was fired was his inability to stay on top of them. Players started cutting corners and skipping steps. That is why they kept falling apart late in games. It is why the offensive line kept making mind-numbing mistakes whenever opponents started blitzing or stunting heavily. They weren’t well-prepared.
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That won’t happen under Ben Johnson, at least not without serious consequences. His first order of business is to ensure the Bears stop beating themselves, which is often the critical step before beating other teams. It doesn’t matter if certain guys may not like it. That is the new reality. Better embrace it.
@Veece — I agree that Ryan Poles suffered from being blindsided by Matt Eberflus’ episodes of “battlefield panic” which cost the Bears actual NFL games. But I believe karma will repay Poles with wins that will be driven this year by HC Ben and his crew. I attribute the good and bad to every NFL GM — namely because fans can never know exactly what happens at Halas Hall — but the GM has to be viewed as having the final say, in the process. The buck stops at his desk. As to whether Poles is viewed as a competent… Read more »
@TGena Way to go! It’s about time you give Poles some credit. Glad to see it. I have no problem with many of your criticisms. I just believe that blame for performance on the field rests with the players and coaches, not the GM and his staff. That’s usually when I take issue with one of your Poles bashing posts. Poles has done a good job so far this offseason getting the most sought after coach in years, and signing a top center that was offered more to go elsewhere. BTW, if the rest of the league thought that Poles… Read more »
@Dr. Melhus — Have you ever noticed — that Bears GM Ryan Poles has provided me with numerous opportunities to identify such comparisons — which are “unfavorable” to the Chicago Bears franchise? Such are the consequences of employing an “inept judge of NFL talent, proficiency, heart and value.” ______________ But — left me take this opportunity to praise GM Ryan Poles for his selection of HC Ben and his crew of coaches, and support staff — and to include as good work: Poles ridding Halas Hall of incompetents e.g., OL coach Chris “C-Mo” Morgan RB coach Chad Morton, and Krithi… Read more »
What could MY HC BEN during Year One 1 of AMB say to or do for Local Kramer v. Kramer to be even remotely worthy of being on the Bears roster? Send him to the sofa with Davis. Lest We Forget: even well before the start of the season and him losing the Bears two games last year, I asserted he should have been cut. But noooo! You dolts thought to keep the Poles’ no-talent who should never have been even drafted. Well. you got what you deserved–shockingly painful suffering, I’m sure. He is the best representative of Poles’ ineptitude… Read more »
@Beardown: Yes Tez was hurt, and further, it’s apples and lawn mowers. Comparing the best player on the Bears DL with a good player in a much better front seven is like comparing the US Government budget today with the budget Ferdinand of Spain used to fund Columbus’s expedition to find the other passage to the West Indies. But that never stopped @TGena, as long as the comparison is unfavorable to Poles or any player he acquired.