Ben Johnson seems to have hit the ground running, as far as hitting the right notes with Chicago Bears fans goes.
The new Bears head coach and former Lions offensive coordinator will win brownie points from both fanbases with his latest comments.
Ben Johnson Looks Ahead to Winning ‘Toughest Division in Football’ With the Bears
The rivalry between the Bears and the Green Bay Packers is the oldest in pro football. As two of the three oldest NFL teams, these teams have been doing battle for over a century.
However, Chicago has been on the wrong end of this equation over the past decade or so. The Bears have a 3-17 record against Green Bay since 2015, breaking a losing streak over six years long.
Johnson is tasked with changing this state of affairs, and he expressed his enthusiasm for it:
“I know this is the toughest division in football right now. There’s three teams that made the playoffs this year. I’ve got tremendous amount of respect for the coaches and players in this league, having competed against them for the last six years.”
“Dan Campbell, Kevin O’Connell – you talk about two coaches that are up for the Coach of the Year awards as the season ends here.”
At this point, Johnson’s expression turned into a boyish grin as he quipped:
“And to be quite frank with you, I kinda enjoyed beating Matt LaFleur twice a year.”
New #Bears HC Ben Johnson: “To be quite frank with you, I kinda enjoyed beating Matt LaFleur twice a year.” 🍿pic.twitter.com/qfny13ZCWT
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) January 22, 2025
It’s clear that Johnson wanted to gloat about his personal success against Green Bay, especially in light of the Bears’ recent history. His words will undoubtedly win him more support from the Bears faithful. However, his initial words are also rooted in a sobering reality, describing the competition he’s up against.
There’s a fun fact that highlights how tough the NFC North was in 2024 – the Bears held a 4-2 record after six games and still finished fourth in the division.
While defending NFC North champion Detroit going 15-2 and retaining its title was expected, the Vikings emerged as the unlikeliest team to go 14-3 in the 17-game schedule. Green Bay also returned to the playoffs for a second straight year with Jordan Love at the helm.
The NFC North went a combined 45-23 (.662), the highest win percentage by a division since the current division format began in 2002. Teams from the division won 33 of their 44 games against teams from other divisions. Three of their 11 losses came against three of the remaining teams in the playoffs.
However, despite the NFC North’s impressive regular-season play, it was also the first time that a division went 0-3 in the playoffs.
Johnson will be tasked with maximizing this team’s skill players. Caleb Williams, who finished his rookie campaign with a No. 33 ranking (63.2) and D grade in PFN’s QB+ metric, has the likes of Keenan Allen, Rome Odunze and Cole Kmet as pass catchers.
Nevertheless, the Bears finished with a No. 30 ranking (64.0) and D grade in PFN’s Offense+ metric during the regular season. While the Bears’ offensive line was among the worst in the league, Johnson nonetheless has many components for a good recipe. His biggest challenge will be devising a playbook maximizing Williams’ strengths.
