Blogging The Boys
When the Dallas Cowboys moved on from Mike McCarthy – or, rather, when he moved on from them – the attention of the fan base almost immediately turned to one man: Ben Johnson. The offensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions had become the most coveted coach for teams that were thinking of making a move at the top. But Johnson never even interviewed in Dallas, and he’ll now face the Cowboys Sunday in Chicago in his third game leading the Bears.
The fit made perfect sense in Chicago. Johnson had played an integral role in reviving the Lions from perennial cellar-dwellers to the cream of the NFC crop. The Bears have been inching closer and closer to said cellar, and their recent first overall pick Caleb Williams desperately needed a coach who could mold him into the superstar he has the potential to be. Johnson’s predecessor, Matt Eberflus, never provided a stable environment for Williams to succeed.
The Cowboys are hoping Eberflus still has that knack for making Williams look like a bad decision for the franchise, but two weeks into the year, things are looking positive for the duo of Johnson and Williams.
Schematically speaking, Johnson is a chameleon. He’s coached under the likes of Adam Gase, Darrell Bevell, and Mike Martz, all of whom he pulled bits of inspiration. Under Dan Campbell in Detroit, Johnson fused concepts Campbell learned from Sean Payton with some of the things he had learned, as well as sprinkling in concepts he saw other teams using around the league.
When he came to Chicago, Johnson stressed that he was going to run an offense that fit the Bears, not simply play all the hits from Detroit. With the Lions, Johnson had an elite offensive line and a strict pocket-passing quarterback; he built the offense around that, creating a physical rushing attack that ripped off chunk plays via play-action concepts that bought his immobile quarterback time.
In Chicago, he has Williams, a dual-threat playmaker who often has his best moments when the play breaks down around him. Williams also has a wide array of weapons: D.J. Moore is one of the more underrated receivers in the NFL, and Rome Odunze developed a strong bond with Williams last year as a rookie, while rookies Luther Burden and Colston Loveland offer great secondary options alongside Cole Kmet.
So what has this offense looked like through two weeks?
Well, it’s safe to say Johnson is still figuring it out a bit. The Bears currently rank 15th in yards and 16th in yards per play. The efficiency metrics are worse, as they sit 28th in EPA/play and 31st in offensive DVOA.
The run game, in particular, has been awful. D’Andre Swift is the only running back with double-digit carries so far, and he’s averaging four yards a clip. However, he’s posted a negative amount of yards over expected (RYOE), which is never good. He’s also already lost a fumble.
Johnson’s Lions thrived on the ground, and they made...
