A new standard is being set at Halas Hall.
We are just a couple of days into training camp, and the takes are flying.
We’ve seen some fans already concerned about how Caleb Williams and the offense look. Make no mistake about it, so far, the offense is struggling.
I absolutely love it. Here’s why.
This Chicago Bears offensive roster is largely a group that was here last year. There are three new offensive linemen, a new tight end, and a new WR3. Other than that, the core group of guys is the same group that was here last year.
We haven’t heard too many negatives about the offensive line at this point, and why should we? The pads aren’t on yet, and there’s not too much to screw up at this point.
But we have seen Ben Johnson constantly getting on Williams and the skill position players.
This is a great thing.
This skill group was largely the same last season. We didn’t hear about these types of issues last season. Did the players get worse? No, they did not.
So what’s the change?
The change is attention to detail.
We even heard players talking about Waldron’s practices in the spring and in training camp last season. If players messed up, if it was even addressed, it was addressed passively. This season, everything is being addressed head-on. The attention to detail is significant.
A new standard is being set, and these players are learning it the hard way. They are learning that what was acceptable previously is no longer acceptable.
Each player is expected to know exactly what their job is, 100% of the time.
These players are learning what the expectation is from a coaching staff that asks a lot, no, that demands a lot from its players.
The learning curve on the offense might be slow; it might even spill a little into September, but this is a new culture. It’s a rude awakening for these players. It’s what these players said they wanted after Matt Eberflus was fired.
If Cole Kmet lines up incorrectly, the entire offense goes back to the huddle and tries again. If Caleb Williams does his progressions in the wrong order, they run the play again. If Rome Odunze runs the wrong route, the entire team knows about it.
This is the type of culture the Bears have desperately needed.
Things have changed at Halas Hall. It’s been a slow change. It started with Kevin Warren. It continued with drafting Caleb Williams. Now, the final piece is the culture being established by Ben Johnson and the coaching staff.
The Bears didn’t get these people in their positions the traditional way. You can say they did it the wrong way (hiring the GM before the President, and then drafting the QB before hiring the head coach). However, the bottom line is that it looks like the pieces are in place.
There’s a new culture at Halas Hall. It’s the start of a winning culture.
It’s what’s been missing in Chicago for a very long time.