Ben Johnson on offensive performance, team culture | Chicago Bears

Ben Johnson on offensive performance, team culture | Chicago Bears

really good week of preparation. Uh we’re excited about being home. It feels like it’s been a minute since we’ve been we’ve been in front of our home crowd. So, I know the guys are are looking forward to that. Um weather will certainly be a consideration as we go into this one. You know, a little bit cooler. It’s going to feel like football. So, once again, guys excited about that as well. But, uh with that, I’ll go ahead and open it up. What’s the latest with TJ’s hand? Um he got surgery on that and he’s going to uh he he the hand’s not going to hold him back. You know, that’s something that I think we’ll be able to cast up and and uh he’ll be okay. But between that and then uh he had a hamstring as well. So we’re working through both those things to get him back. Fracture for the surgery. Yeah. Yeah. Is the hamstring the same thing that’s been bugging him all year? Yeah. With uh is he an IR potential or we’re thinking he’ll come back before we need to do that. There’s been a lot of talk this year that you’re winning games that last year you were not winning. What would you attribute the difference being winning those games? Yeah, I think it’s just the awareness that uh you know, we’ve got opportunities right now to to uh and we got playmakers to to come back and we’re never out of it. And so um I don’t know. I I I wasn’t here so I can’t say what a difference was but I think those guys understood that uh you know there’s a certain narrative out there about them and they wanted to change that narrative and so um it’s a prideful bunch. I’ve been saying that all year long and uh I think when you’re aware of something you can you can uh look to change that. So um so far up to this point they’ve done that. What’s the biggest challenge for you in determining a running back rotation? Do you guys go hot hand when it exists or is it just more planned out, you know? Yeah, my experience has usually been uh you know, each each guy there might be a couple plays on the plan uh run game or pass game that you put their number down for going into the week. And uh you know, other than that, I think normally it’s been by series. Hey, this guy’s going to start us off this series and we’ll kind of see the longer the drive, we might have to sub someone else in or if I call one of those, you know, selective plays that might that might be the case. But, um, no, I think I think we’ll get that right balance uh, as we go through it. EB’s got a really good feel for for guys as they’re rolling. I do I do believe in in a guy having a hot hand. So, if one guy, you know, as he’s feeling it and giving us a spark, we might lean on that a little bit longer. But, uh, no, I I think we got a really good room. Um, you know, I think a guy like Travis Homer, even he brings something to to the running back room that you might not normally see. You know, everyone talks about Manungai and Swifty. Um, but between Homer and then, you know, hopefully getting Roshan back, you know, those guys will add another flavor as well. So, I’m excited to see it. I think you told us at Family Fest, which was way back in what, early August, how much you that you trusted Kyle to see Kyle go have the game he had with the number of carries he had. Did that just reinforce what you believe that does that give you any more trust or was that possible? Yeah, I I think there’s a number of guys here that they they’re just looking for opportunities and uh and he certainly got one and took advantage of it. And so, um, no, no one on the coaching staff or or personnel side, but no one was surprised to see that. I mean, you just when you um come into the building like he does and have his approach every single day and it doesn’t matter in the meetings or or in walkthroughs or practice, you know what you’re going to get. He’s a very consistent player. Um and so he he ran hard. He he lowered his pads and I I thought, you know, he played some inspiring football for anybody that was watching it, whether you’re on the field or on the sideline. So, um yeah, no one was surprised and uh you know, I think I think we’ll get that from all of our backs. the uh gadget play you put in for Cole last week kind of came to life in a unique way. Why did they excite you the way it did to to where you were really really juiced up to get that? Yeah. Well, I saw when I saw him throw it 60 yards right on the money during practice. I mean, it’s hard not to get excited. So, um part of me wanted to call it first play of the game. I think I I waited until the first first down and and just went ahead and went with it. So, um the deep they took away the deep one u so we threw it underneath. But, you know, the interesting thing about that is I felt like when I was watching routes versus air this week, every skilled player was was throwing the ball back to the with a little bit of velocity and accuracy. So, um I noticed that part as well. When the uh Rome dropped the pass, is there anything to just a different rotation of the ball because Cole’s left-handed? Uh I I don’t think at this level that that that’s a huge concern. I think that’s one that uh he he hauls in 99.9% of the time. So, um I’m not going to look into the rotation being a being a factor with with Benongai. He he got drilled really hard on one play last week and you went back to him like the next three plays. Was there was there something about like I’m you know leaning into his toughness there at all or was it just that what made the most sense? Yeah, I I don’t know that I’ve I even calculated that into the the play calls. So, um, you know, if the guys are out there, then I assume that they’re they’re ready to go. And, um, I I probably didn’t even put it in my head that he got hit hard on one. I need to give him a breather or anything like that. So, uh, we’re just kind of going with the flow of what’s working and and, uh, really the plan that we have going into the game. What’s worked for for DJ these last couple of games? His depth of target has has been up, too. Yeah. Um, no. I I those things they they go in uh in cycles. Um, particularly with the perimeter players, you just it’s hard for me to predict when a guy is going to have a big game or not out there. You just can’t foresee um what coverage you’re going to get every single time. You look to put them in in good positions. I I say it every week. You know, there’s a healthy amount of the game plan that you know DJ’s the number one target. Rome, Coloulston, Cole, Luther, like we we kind of cycle through and we make sure each guy has some some uh plays for him, but uh you know, you just can’t dictate what what coverage. I can’t go across the the field and ask him to do it. So, it’s worked out nicely, um last few weeks, and I think, uh hey, I’m very pleased with how DJ’s playing. I mean, he you talk about a guy that comes into work with a smile on his face every single day. um he he loves football, love what he’s about right now. I think Randle L and and those guys in the receiver room are doing a great job um coaching him up and I think he’s providing a great example for for a lot of our young players as well. Very smart. I think that’s underrated. He’s he’s one of the smarter receivers that I’ve been around. He can handle a number of positions and so um yeah, it’s just a matter of time. You know, each guy is going to going to have their own moment in the sun, if you will. Uh it’s hard to say each week that each guy’s going to get a certain number of of catches, but uh you know it’s it’s pretty encouraging to see where he’s been right now. And with with Tmaine, what having schemed against him the past couple years, what’s it been like to kind of see the kind of plays he’s been making for Yeah. Well, I you know, it’s uh I I think he’s really come on over the last few weeks since we moved him from Mike to Will. I just I don’t know if comfort level or just hey, this is what you got to do. you know, it’s I think it’s really come on and uh you know, I talking with some of the previous coaches we’ve we’ve gone against, you know, opponents that we’ve gone against and they they talk about how long he is and how what a big concern he is in their passing game because hard to fit the ball over him or around him. He just finds a finds a way to tip the ball or I think he’s got four interceptions on the year right now. So, um, you know, when he when he plays decisive and physical in the run game, it just it makes him a really dangerous linebacker because of, uh, you know, the concerns that our opponents have for him in the passing game. So, um, I I really I’m happy with how he’s playing right now. You volunteered earlier in the week that you can be a little bit unpleasant on the headset at times. A, what what tends to trigger you and B, how do you make sure that it doesn’t come across as overly abrasive? Uh yeah, he probably does come across overly abrasive, but those guy those guys are used to me. Um they know that we’re just trying to win a ball game and so that’s the most important thing. But yeah, it’s each time we hit the field, we expect to score a touchdown and so if we’re if we’re falling short of that, then um usually a little bit disappointed. Got it. Thank you. Thanks.

Head coach Ben Johnson addresses the media on Friday at Halas Hall.

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