Ben Johnson wasn’t just a hot name in coaching circles-he was expected to be the next big thing. After three years of orchestrating Detroit’s offense into one of the league’s most creative and efficient units, it felt like only a matter of time before he got his shot as a head coach. What nobody quite saw coming was just how fast he’d flip the switch in Chicago.
Let’s be clear: the Bears were a mess last season. A 5-12 team with a decade-long resume of losing seasons doesn’t typically morph into a contender overnight.
But Johnson had other ideas. From day one, he made his intentions known-this wasn’t going to be a slow rebuild.
He came to win, and win now.
And after an 0-2 stumble out of the gate, Johnson’s Bears have ripped off nine wins in their last ten games. Now they sit atop the NFC, holding the conference’s #1 seed and looking every bit like a team nobody wants to face in January.
So, how did this happen? It starts with identity.
Johnson laid out a clear vision: a physical, violent, run-first offense that doesn’t just wear you down-it dares you to stop it. That mindset has taken root in Chicago’s locker room.
Players have bought in, not just to the scheme, but to the attitude behind it. And while that culture shift is impressive on its own, it’s not the only thing that has the rest of the league on edge.
What’s really keeping defensive coordinators up at night is Johnson’s adaptability.
One opposing coach, speaking anonymously, summed it up best: “Ben threw the ball in the first quarter, and then he said, ‘Am I nuts throwing in the wind with Caleb Williams when I can just run the ball with two backs?’” That kind of in-game self-awareness is rare.
Most play callers stick to their script, trusting the plan they spent all week building. Johnson?
He’ll toss the script in the trash if the moment calls for it.
Against a defense like Vic Fangio’s-one of the most respected minds in the game-Johnson didn’t blink. Fangio leaned on his signature two-high shell, rolling safeties down late to disguise coverages.
Johnson countered by pounding the A-gaps with quick-hitting runs, neutralizing the safeties before they could get involved. It wasn’t flashy, but it was brutally effective.
That’s the thing about Johnson. He’s not married to a system. He’s married to winning.
There’s a moment from the Bears’ behind-the-scenes series 1920 Football Drive that captures this perfectly. During a practice session, Johnson was running through a scripted set of plays.
Things weren’t clicking. Instead of forcing it, he called an audible-not in the huddle, but on the entire practice structure.
“I’m going rogue,” he said, ditching the plan and trusting his instincts.
That mindset-controlled chaos, with a purpose-is what makes him so dangerous. He’s not just designing plays; he’s playing chess in real time. And if your defensive coordinator isn’t ready to match that level of improvisation, you’re going to get outcoached.
Even against a veteran like Fangio, Johnson didn’t just hold his own-he dictated the terms. On Black Friday, he coached circles around one of the best defensive minds in the game. And that’s not just a good sign for the Bears-it’s a warning shot to the rest of the league.
Ben Johnson isn’t waiting for the future. He’s building it now. And if what we’ve seen so far is any indication, Chicago’s turnaround isn’t a blip-it’s the beginning of something real.