The Chicago Bears hired Ben Johnson as their head coach for a multitude of reasons. Atop the list is the expectation that he will be completely revamp the team’s offense.
Johnson managed to do so successfully during his run with the Detroit Lions. Consistently, the Lions ranked towards the top of the total offense rankings, topping out at second-best in 2024 by averaging 409.5 yards per game. It won’t be an immediate process, but Johnson is expected to inject his offensive wizardry into Chicago.
But for as much as the head coach brings, he’ll be asking for from the Bears roster. It will be a collaborative effort to get the franchise back on top of the NFC North. Still, Johnson already has a plan in place and knows exactly what he wants from his offensive play makers, via Adam Jahns and Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic.
“(Montgomery) had a heck of a start to his career here in Chicago and (we) felt good about his play style and how we want to play football there in Detroit, and it really translated well,” Johnson said. “And then when you get into the draft prospects, we viewed Gibbs as more of a weapon. Not necessarily 1A, 1B, but more they could coexist and really complement each other’s skill set.”
“To me, that’s how you want to construct a roster from all your skill positions is: you don’t want five 6-4 guys necessarily in the receiver room,” Johnson continued. “You want more of a basketball team where you’ve got the point guard, you’ve got the power forward. You have a wealth of different skill sets that you can look to call upon wherever you’re at in the field and whatever situation arises.”
Fixing the Chicago Bears offense
While optimism is one thing, Johnson will have a mole hill to work with when he arrives to Chicago. The Bears finished their 2024 campaign ranked dead last in total offense, averaging 284.6 yards per game.
The biggest problem was truly the passing game. Only the New England Patriots were worse, as the Bears averaged just 181.5 yards per game through the air. As Johnson comes to Chicago, one of his first orders of business will be helping Williams find his No. 1 pick ceiling. If he can’t, any potential Bears success will go down the drain.
But Johnson won’t forget about the run game. Chicago ranked 25th in that metric, averaging 102 YPG. In turn, Detroit ranked sixth, averaging 146.4 YPG. While Williams will be the star of the show, Johnson knows a strong rushing attack opens up plenty of opportunities for the offense.
It certainly won’t be an easy fix, but Johnson chose the Bears for a reason. At the vey least, he knows exactly what the task in front of him is as he comes to the Windy City.
What Johnson is working with
When it comes to the run game, D’Andre Swift is preparing to lead Chicago’s backfield once again. He has experience playing under Johnson on the Lions. But while the head coach may know how to use the running back, Swift must prove he can maintain the lead role.
He received a career-high 253 carries in 2024, turning it into 959 yards and six touchdowns. While the near-1,000 yards is impressive, Swift averaged just 3.8 yards per carry. Johnson needs him to be more efficient and forceful with his touchdowns. However, the addition of three new faces to the offensive line should help Swift’s production.
The pass game will be led by wide receivers DJ Moore and Rome Odunze alongside tight end Cole Kmet. Moore led the team with 98 receptions for 966 yards in 2024, adding six touchdowns. He should only take a further step under Johnson, serving as the team’s true WR1. Odunze’s rookie season wasn’t excruciatingly bad, but he had just 54 catches for 734 yards and three touchdowns. He has a clear connection with Williams however, and after being a top 10 pick, it’s not hard to see why Odunze’s arrow is still pointing up.
It wouldn’t be a shock to see Johnson and the Bears continue to build to their core. The head coach wants Chicago to be explosive as can be. While it won’t look like Detroit in year one, Johnson is still expected to massively improve the Bears’ offense.
Chicago Bears get their perfect draft running back match by insider
Read MoreFor More Great Chicago Sports Content
Get the latest Chicago sports news, analysis, and breaking stories on the Bears, Bulls, Blackhawks, Cubs, White Sox, Sky, and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News, so you never miss a story on your favorite Chicago teams.
Follow us on Twitter at @chicitysports23 for more great content. We appreciate you taking time to read our articles. To interact more with our community and keep up to date on the latest in Chicago sports news, JOIN OUR FREE FACEBOOK GROUP by CLICKING HERE
