The Chicago Bears’ Week 3 win over the Dallas Cowboys was the first tangible evidence for why Ben Johnson was the most sought-after head coaching candidate in recent memory.
His offensive wizardry ran rings around former coach Matt Eberflus defense in Dallas, and his slow and steady development of quarterback Caleb Williams has been as good as advertised.
But we got a glimpse into what makes Johnson such a good coach during his latest press conference on Friday.
And it’s all about communication.
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“That’s coaching in general,” Johnson said. “We’re not called to be here to be friends or cheerleaders. We’re here to push, to challenge, to support. There are a number of things the best coaches in my life have really imprinted on me. And whether I was a player or a fellow coach, I really think that’s important.
“It’s not what the player wants to hear all the time. Sometimes it’s what he needs to hear for us as a team to succeed and for him as an individual to get a little bit better. And you can’t shy away from that.”
It’s especially true for Johnson’s relationship with Caleb Williams, who entered the NFL with the kind of hype that only follows generational prospects. And whenever a player is that hyped, they aren’t used to getting tough love.
“I try the best I can to emulate the good ones I’ve been around,” Johnson continued. “And I think that’s probably where I’ve seen some downfalls of certain coaches — they have been afraid of conflict and telling a player how he sees it. I learned over the last few years that when there’s silence, there’s usually negativity [that] fills that void and breeds some resentment either way in a relationship. So if you feel a certain type of way – doesn’t matter if you’re the player or the coach – you need to bring that out and make sure we’re all on the same page.”
Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams were on the same page in Week 3, to the tune of 298 passing yards, four touchdowns, and the NFC Offensive Player of the Week award for the Bears’ QB1.
They’ll need more of that in Week 4 to stack their first winning streak of 2025.
“We all have the same goal at the end of the day. But I’ve seen some relationships go sideways just because the communication aspect wasn’t right.”
