Ben Johnson talks Caleb Williams, Packers defense | Press Conference

Ben Johnson talks Caleb Williams, Packers defense | Press Conference

Good to have the guys back. I know they’re they’re fired up and ready to go. So, um going ahead and turn the page here to Green Bay and it’s a good team, man. Um they’re playing good football right now. They’ve really come on, especially these last three games. Offense is playing at a high level. Quarterback is very accurate. Um so, we got a challenge on that side. And then this defense, I think I said it yesterday, it might be uh might be the best defense we’ve seen all year. So, um all hands on deck. It’s going to take all three phases for us here this week. So, go ahead and open it up from there. Ben, with that praise you you put on the Packers defense, what particularly do you find dangerous about going up against them? Well, personnel wise, um they they’re pretty loaded across the board. You know, you got multiple guys up front that you got to be aware of. Um starting with with Micah. Um do a great job moving around, so it’s hard to get a beat for where he’s going to be. Uh Rashawn Gary still playing at a high level. Um, and then they they’ve got a lot of depth up there, too. Like, you can tell they’re really well coached. They do a great job shedding blocks on their front line. Um, with the linebackers, a lot of respect for for Quay Walker. He’s been doing it at a high level now for a number of years. And, uh, Cooper, I I don’t think that he was uh, healthy when I was calling games last year against him, but he he shows up all over the tape. He’s flying around. Um, they they’re matchup issues for your backs and pass. You can tell they they bring it. uh fast players sideline to sideline and then I I think these safeties is probably the two best safeties that we’ve seen all year long. They’re extremely active in the run game. Um they’re all over the field and so we’ve got a tall task here at hand. And then when you combine it with the scheme, I I think Halfley does a great job of making it um simple for them and yet to the offense it can seem fairly complex and and those guys just go out and they play really really fast and and that’s what shows up all over the tape. We’ve asked you about Caleb last year whether anything carried over to to this season. He’s been to Lambo and won. Is there any sort of benefit to that uh for him, you know, that he’s done it before? You would have to ask him that. Um, no. Yeah. To me, each week’s each week’s its own story and so we got to go out and play our best ball here this week. I know it’s not a direct like, you know, head-to-head matchup, but what do you like about the chess match with you calling plays and then the floor calling plays? Um, well, I mean, he’s been doing it for for a long time now, uh, as well, and he’s had a lot of success here in this division and in this conference. Um and so yeah, it’s it’s going to be it’s going to be a big challenge because their offense is they can put points up in bunches. Um between the quarterback playing at such a high level that that uh extremely accurate. Um he’s willing to face, you know, look down the barrel and and take one in the chin while delivering accurate ball. And you saw that last week with the game on the line there, that fourth down. I thought that was one of the better throws I’ve seen all year long from him. Um and then their wide outs are getting healthy. They got speed. Um they they just they’re really deep and so you can’t just hone in on one guy. You got to you got to be able to cover all of them. Um I know that they’ve they’ve uh lost Tucker Craft who was a phenomenal player in and of itself, but Musgraves no one to overlook because he’s he’s capable of being a a weapon as well. So when you combine all that with a running game that’s that’s starting to heat up as well, it’s it’s a dangerous problem. I’ve seen some really good pass rushers all season. and elite pass rushers all season. How have you seen the confidence grow in that unit going up against those tough defensive lines of pass rushers? Yeah. No, we we’ve faced a number of uh good ones. You know, I think the the last one that you you really uh earmarked to a degree was was uh Max Crosby, you know, and he he still was able to affect the game uh quite a bit there when we played Vegas early in the season. Um Hutch was another one just like that up in Detroit. And so um we we faced a number of them. We got uh obviously both Micah and and Rashan Gary here this week and um you know going forward it seems like we’re going to have somebody every week. So yeah, I I think our guys do have some confidence. I do think they’re they’re uh playing well up front in both the run game and the pass game. I’m talking about our offensive line. They’re doing a really nice job right now, but um like I said, each week’s its own story and we got we got to go out there and create our own narrative here this week. When you’re deciding who’s playing left tackle for you week to week or even down the stretch of the season, how much do you factor in the hope of what Azie Trapillo’s ultimate trajectory is as a long-term solution at tackle for you? Him being a second round picking up. Yeah, I mean the the draft status is out of the window once they enter the building. So, that doesn’t play a factor whatsoever. Um, we’re always going to play the the guy that gives us the best chance uh to win the ball game. And so, that’s where it starts. I I think he’s an ascending player just like you alluded to, he’s still developing and and he’s going to continue to get better. The more reps he has. Uh I feel the same way about Theo, too. He’s a young player that the more time on task he gets, the better he’s going to get as well. So, um I think that’s a good problem to have is to have a number of young options at tackle that are only going to continue to get better. What is that process like when you sit down and go, “Okay, is are we going to make a change here permanently or at least while both guys are healthy?” Did you sit down with the position coach, with Ryan? What’s Yeah, I mean, we we have staff meetings every week and we kind of go over who we think’s going to be available first and foremost and uh you know, health is a big part of the equation on a lot of those conversations, but um how how guys have been playing in recent weeks and and really kind of looking ahead to the opponent, what’s what’s best for that opponent as well. So, there’s a number of factors that come into play. You guys have run the ball the best on the road, the Cincinnati game last week. What have you learned about the way the run game travels? Yeah, I guess that’s not even something I thought about just being on the road versus at home with that. Um, no, I think that it’s been a good thing because uh you know when you when you’re on the road certainly the the crowd can be a factor and and so you need to be a little bit more under center potentially just so you can get off the rock all at the same time or if you’re in the gun you’re on the silent cadence and so um maybe that plays a factor into it. But no, I really I I think each and every week we try to look to develop a run game and um if it’s there, I’ll lean into it a little bit more early on in the game and and go from there. But uh yeah, we we got to earn it each and every week. Are you hopeful that you’re going to have some some depth back at linebacker soon? And did did TJ have some sort of setback with the hamstring? Uh no, we we’re still going par for the course there with that. And and we’ll see where where that position room’s at here today in practice. you know, we got uh uh we feel really good about the two guys that have been filling in. In the meantime, though, you know, both Aean and and DJ have have played really good ball for us. So, um we’ll see who’s up and and who looks good here this week and and to what extent we can find a role for him. I know that Pro Bowlers have a Pro Bowl season here for you. Um playing like he’s 24 again. How valuable has he been both on the field and also as a leader in that? Yeah. No, he he’s incredible. um had a lot of respect from for him from afar prior to coming into the building and I it’s nothing but grown from there. I mean he’s he’s done a tremendous job taking care of his own business first and foremost to to your point. He’s playing at a really high level um on that back end picking up a new scheme and uh and he’s really leading the charge not just for the defense for the entire team. I lean into him heavily for just kind of feeling the pulse for for the locker room. Um he knows what winning looks like. Um and so his voice really carries a lot of weight for for everybody in the building. As a follow, what are those conversations like with a guy like Kevin? And when did you realize kind of early on that this is somebody you could really lean on and could be a really key part of of this locker room? Well, yeah. I had a number of guys that uh I looked at and just looked at their careers and what they’ve done and uh you know, there’s a number of guys like that that I that I feel strongly about and they know who they are. Um we we meet on a somewhat regular basis just to make sure that that we all see it the same. Try to give them a heads up on what the schedule looks like and any feedback that they can give me of of where I can better serve them. Um that’s always welcome as well. So, uh yeah, there’s a number of guys like that. What did you what did you appreciate? I know that the game isn’t where you want it to be right now, but how do you feel like Caleb is just progressing with the way he’s handling or I guess managing the offense? Yeah, I think when I made that comment yesterday, it’s easily to constru I’m I’m not happy with the quarterback. That’s not the case whatsoever. He he continues to get better each and every week. And uh I couldn’t be more pleased with with how he played last week. And I know what the stats say. Um throw those out the window. He’s he’s doing a really good job managing the ball game. And uh that’s that’s step number one for the quarterback. Um and so he’s he’s going to continue to get better. He’s doing a the process is is really good right now with how he approaches the week. Um the way he’s taken the coaching, the way he’s applying the coaching. I’m very pleased with that and I I think we’re going to continue to see him ascend whether the stats tell the story or not. What did you appreciate about the way that Dennis Allen called the defense last week? I know he’s had to mitigate some injury risks and all those things, but the amount of dime the pressure created out of those D packages and just his ability to adjust to who them every Yeah. I mean, he’s uh you can tell he’s done it for a long time at at a high level and uh and that’s what that’s what we we’re getting from him right now. I mean, he’s he knows uh who to sink into. He knows how to put guys in in advantageous spots. Um, I think he’s got a great feel for the game of when to when to light them up versus when to play coverage and just rush four. Um, and then he he’s really committed to to getting the best guys out there. And so that’s where we were a week ago. We felt really good about our DB situation and uh and what we were going to get with that opposing offense. And so we we leaned into that dime package a little bit more. Each week’s a little bit different. So we’ll see what we got in store this week. But um yeah, I think that’s what he does best is he he maximizes the skill set of his guys and um there is zero for the entire building. I give them all credit, you know, there is no woe is me, we got we don’t have this or we don’t have that. No, that’s not the case whatsoever. It’s no, we we’ve got really good players. Let’s uh find a way to make this thing work with who we have. Am sheep.

Head coach Ben Johnson addresses the media Tuesday at Halas Hall.

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