The Chicago Bears boasted a top-10 offense in Ben Johnson's first season. It should be even better in Year 2.
Johnson became known as a play-calling guru for the Detroit Lions, able to scheme and script plays that befuddled defenses and led to a trove of explosive gains. That carried over to Chicago, even as he adjusted his scheme.
The Bears coach said Tuesday that he feels he's changed "fairly significantly" as a play-caller in his short time in Chicago.
"I'd like to think I'm better in situations than I've been in the past," Johnson told reporters. "You continue to grow, and you learn from your own mistakes or things that have gone well for you. You look to tailor it to the guys that are available, and we have different guys this year than we had last year and certainly anywhere else I've been. The challenge is making sure that we're all coordinated, on the same page, and putting them all in a spot to succeed."
The Bears boast an ascending quarterback in Caleb Williams and a stockpile of weapons to go along with a good offensive line.
"I love the challenge of looking at Luther Burden and how do we get him the ball and maximize what he does best, along with Rome (Odunze), along with Colston (Loveland) and Cole (Kmet)," Johnson said. "We have this whole slew of weapons that we're looking to maximize. I think that's the fun part. The plays don't matter so much to me. It's more so, how do we get these guys the ball with a little bit of space to do what they do so well?"
Burden came on strong down the stretch of the season as he became more comfortable in the offense. The shifty wideout, who generated 25 catches and 357 yards in his final five games of the regular season, is poised for a breakout campaign. Odunze, when healthy, provides a big-bodied wideout who can win on the boundary and stretch the field. And Loveland, who led the Bears in yards and receptions last season, continues to grow as a mismatch weapon.
Williams is the key to Johnson's offense making another leap. The Madden NFL 27 cover athlete made significant strides last season, and taking another step forward could push the Bears offense from a top-10 unit into the very upper echelon. Johnson noted that Williams' comfort in the offense is growing, but it always helps to have his improvisational skills in the back pocket when things break down.
"There is a lot of unpredictability that comes along with it," Johnson said. "As he continues to grow and develop, if the structure of the play is there for him, then he'll take it. But what he can do out of structure is really unique, and I think it makes us even more difficult to defend."
