Bucky Brooks might not be the biggest name in the NFL media sphere, but the former player has a Super Bowl ring and has built a well-earned reputation as one of the most reputable analysts in the business. He does his homework more than most. That is why whenever he talks about your team, you should at least pay attention. Brooks hasn’t spoken much about the Chicago Bears for some time, likely because they were irrelevant until recently. However, he saved his comments for something big. It involved comparing head coach Ben Johnson to one of the game’s all-time great minds.
Anybody who has followed the NFL or studied it with reasonable effort will have come across the name Bill Walsh. Not only is he one of the greatest head coaches in the Super Bowl era, having won three titles with the San Francisco 49ers, but he’s also considered one of the greatest offensive minds ever. His West Coast offense completely changed how the game is played. Elements of it are still used to this day. After watching Johnson for some time, he believes nobody embodies Walsh better than the Bears’ head coach.
TRUTH: Ben Johnson is this generation’s Bill Walsh
No disrespect to Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay’s wizardry, but Ben Johnson is the guru who will define the 2020s as a legendary play-caller. The second-year head coach of the Chicago Bears has awakened a hibernating offense, transforming it into a juggernaut that has defensive coordinators shaking in their boots as they prepare to face the “Monsters of the Midway.”
Johnson’s Bears bludgeon opponents with a mix of power and pizzazz. Fielding an exotic smash-mouth offense with an MVP-caliber quarterback, a pair of potential 1,000-yard rushers and a talented collection of pass catchers, the savvy schemer can call any play he wants with supreme confidence in the team’s talent, tactics and execution. Moreover, Johnson knows his rock-solid offensive line will impose its will on foes, leaving them battered and bruised after a 60-minute war in the trenches. Given the overwhelming physicality and toughness this unit displays whenever it takes the field, Chicago is establishing itself as an offensive bully that pushes around adversaries…
…Bill Walsh transformed the game with his West Coast offense and a star-studded lineup that featured Joe Montana, Jerry Rice and Roger Craig, among others. The Hall of Fame coach made a pass-heavy approach the norm. These days, Johnson has balance back in vogue. Chicago ranked third in rushing and 10th in passing last season. In 2026, the Bears could finish in the top five in both categories.
With a well-rounded approach, creative scheming and a deep bag of tricks, Johnson is setting the standard for modern offense.
Johnson embodies many of the traits Walsh had.
Sure, there is the offensive stuff. Walsh was known for his uncanny ability to create spacing for his receivers, giving them ample opportunities to get open for the quarterback. His creativity led to all sorts of different formations, putting defenses in constant conflict with their assigned responsibilities. Johnson is arguably the best in the NFL at doing that. Yet it doesn’t stop there. Walsh earned a reputation as a demanding and psychological coach. He had an innate ability always to make his players uncomfortable enough that they never got lazy in their approach, for fear of losing their spots.
Ben Johnson said it from the moment he took over. “Get comfortable being uncomfortable.” One of his tactics from the beginning is reminding players that he is under no obligation to keep them on the roster. If they don’t meet his standard for this team, they won’t be on the roster for long. Walsh did the same thing in San Francisco, famously saying, “This isn’t college.” There are no scholarships to protect you in the NFL. It certainly had the desired effect. Players were on their toes each and every day.
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If this comparison holds, the Bears have big things ahead.
Walsh’s early career in San Francisco was defined by quick offensive success. However, his teams didn’t win much at first. A big reason for that was how bad the 49ers were on defense—ranking 27th and 26th, respectively, in points allowed in his first two years. It wasn’t until year three, when they jumped to 2nd, that Walsh broke through to his first championship. Johnson is following that same trajectory at the moment. His offenses have been terrific from the outset, going 12-6 in his first 18 regular season games.
The problem is that the Bears are not good defensively. They were 23rd in points allowed last season and gave up 37 in the opener against Carolina. Until that problem gets fixed, he may sit trapped. Walsh was smart enough to realize the problem, though. In 1981, San Francisco spent its first five draft picks on defense, including future Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott. Then the team punctuated it by adding star pass rusher Fred Dean via a midseason trade. If Johnson is as smart as Walsh was, he’ll push for something similar in the coming months.
