When he was hired by the Chicago Bears, Ben Johnson was billed as an offensive innovator and play-calling guru. Even though most pundits felt he was the perfect match for the franchise, the one lingering concern was whether he could command a room as the head coach.
Was he a ‘leader of men’ was bandied about.
Some saw the 39-year-old Johnson from afar and assumed he was a mild-mannered, new-school, offensive-coordinating cliché who could call an offense, but lacked the fire and passion it took to put his stamp on a team.
However, regular listeners toTaylor Doll’s Making Monsters on our 2nd City Gridiron channel would have known that Jeremy Reisman, Editor in Chief at Pride of Detroit, who was on the Lions’ beat for Johnson’s entire time in Detroit, saw a different, more passionate side to Johnson.
“His general mood in training camp and practices is pissed off,” Reisman said, and the reason is that Johnson is “detail-oriented” and a “perfectionist.”
Bears fans have already heard plenty of stories from OTAs, minicamps, and training camp about how Johnson set the tone with his club, and in this recent clip from Bleacher Report, wideout DJ Moore talked bout the culture shift already taking shape in Chicago and how he’s felt with his new head coach.
“Uncomfortable has been the main thing,” DJ said, “just trying to change the culture around here, and they did it fast. You can tell how we’re practicing and go about our business.”
Earlier today, rookie receiver Luther Burden III was removed from the field after a mistake, so Moore was asked if he saw it and how he’d counsel the young wideout.
“I actually didn’t see it because I was coming back from being talked to, but I did hear him yelling at somebody, and I didn’t know it was Luther. But if I had any advice, it’s that you just got to stay in your playbook and know the exact details, because if the playbook says plus two [yards] from the hash and you’re minus one, you’re wrong, and you’ll have to get out. If he’s gonna give you a second chance, you’re gonna re-huddle it [and] go back out there. If you do it again, line up in the same way, you’re definitely coming out.
After the laissez-faire attitude from the previous coaching regime, Johnson’s professional approach is proving to be exactly what the franchise needs.