When the Bears hired Ben Johnson last offseason, he arrived with a clear reputation: the young coach who revived Jared Goff’s career in Detroit by grafting much of the Sean McVay system into a new approach. The offense came with a heavy dose of motion, play-action and intermediate in‑breakers, plus new wrinkles to fit players such as Jahmyr Gibbs and Jameson Williams, according to the report.
Johnson took over a second‑year quarterback, Caleb Williams, the 2024 No. 1 pick, and faced questions about whether the system could reverse Williams’ rookie struggles. The partnership produced mixed results in 2025: Williams’ sack rate fell from 10.0% to 3.8%, while completion percentage declined from 62.5% to 58.1%, the report noted.
The broader picture, the report argues, is that Johnson’s first year in Chicago was not solely about reshaping the quarterback. The offense was stripped to the studs and rebuilt, with emphasis on the ground game. The Bears had the earliest bye in 2025 (Week 5) and were 2‑2 entering it; their defense ranked 31st in success rate, and the offense showed a major imbalance — 12th in EPA per dropback but 31st in EPA per rush.
Running the ball is central to Johnson’s system and to how he teaches it. Offensive coordinator Press Taylor said, “It was the running game. We really needed to get the running game going.” Johnson continues to install the running game himself on a weekly basis, as he did in Detroit. Tight end Cole Kmet said he has “never been around a playcaller, let alone a head coach, that installs his own running game” and described Johnson bringing receivers, tight ends, backs, quarterbacks and linemen together during installation.
Johnson carried over much of the Detroit playbook rather than starting from scratch, the report adds. During his three seasons in Detroit the offense expanded with stability from Goff, center Frank Ragnow and receiver Amon‑Ra St. Brown. That heavy-handed installation was a lot to absorb in a short window, but the rebuild aimed to create a complete system built for sustained team success.
