When the Chicago Bears visit the Carolina Panthers in Week 1, Ben Johnson isn’t pretending the home defense is some soft landing spot. The Bears head coach opened his Tuesday press conference by making it clear Carolina’s defense has his attention.
Johnson pointed to the way the Panthers finished last season and the way they’ve attacked the offseason, saying they were already among the league’s better units and may have taken another step forward.
"Defensively, just looking at their numbers and the way they ended the back half of last season, they were one of the top-10 defenses in football and they did nothing but get better through free agency and the draft, so we'll have our hands full there," Johnson said. "They've got real star power all across the field, it seems like on that side of the ball, starting with Derrick Brown, the corners are really good players, safeties are really good players.
I can go on and on and on. It will be a significant challenge right out of the gate and then looking at their offense, they've got skill players."
The matchup also brings together two former No. 1 overall picks at quarterback in Bryce Young and Caleb Williams, but Johnson’s focus was clearly on the other side of the ball. Carolina’s defense is being viewed as a unit that can help the Panthers prove doubters wrong this season, and the Bears know they’ll be dealing with a group that added talent this offseason.
One of the biggest additions was linebacker Devin Lloyd, and Johnson singled him out as a player Chicago has already spent time studying.
"That’s a guy that Press [Taylor] has got a lot of experience with and he speaks very highly of him as a player," Johnson said. "Super athletic, can run all over the place, come down, thump ya, is good in coverage.
He’s a guy that we’re certainly aware of. All three levels right now, they’ve got people that we gotta make sure we account for and that we’re thinking about."
Johnson also noted that Lloyd may be used in a variety of ways, but said the Bears are preparing for the uncertainty that comes with a new scheme and limited tape.
"A little bit different scheme than what he’s been in in the past. We’ll see how they wanna utilize him - do they want to pressure him?
Do they wanna keep him in coverage? That’s something that, without a whole lot of tape out there, it’s hard to say for sure.
We just have to make sure we’re sound in everything we’re doing and give us a chance."
For Chicago, that means Carolina’s defense - and Lloyd in particular - will be a central part of the challenge when the season opens.
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