Ben Johnson previews matchup with Saints | Chicago Bears

Ben Johnson previews matchup with Saints | Chicago Bears

Good week of practice, guys. Guys, uh, you know, very difficult challenge coming off a short week like this and, uh, I think they’re they’re handling it the right way. So, um, last time we had this opportunity, we we didn’t come out with the result we wanted. So, it is a big week from that regard and our growth as a team to make sure that we we go out there perform well on Sunday. So, I’ll go ahead and open it up there. Was Swift uh, injured in practice yesterday? Ben, you said last week you were interested to see how the team handled the elements. Um, you got looks like wins coming on on Sunday. What did you kind of learn about players, support staff, how everybody kind of handled that in Washington looking ahead for uh Sunday? Yeah, I know. I think they they handled it well. I think, uh, when you know what you’re getting yourself into, that certainly allows you to get in the right, uh, frame of mind to to, uh, go about your business the right way and and handle it. And so, uh, they they knew what it was going to be like. They thought they they wore the proper shoes last Monday night. And I didn’t see guys slipping all over the tape like you could see possibly. um other teams do at times and and so I thought they handled it well and then this week it could be a different story, you know, whether it’s rainy or or we get a little bit more wind um you know and that’s something that we always think about as a coaching staff and and just just like last week it’s making sure our players are ahead of it so that they can be in the right frame of mind at Soldier Field is a foreign experience for a lot of guys. Cyro has that if he can’t go like what does he need to impress upon Jake to make sure that Jake’s prepared for that? Yeah, we’re we’re doing everything that uh we can think of to get Jake ready. So, um I think Coach High Totower does a great job making sure we’re we’re uh turn over every stone to make sure we’re exhausting every avenue so that all of our players are ready. Uh for example, they have a left footed punter. We had guy come in to kick our returners yesterday. So, um things of that nature. So, I I’m pretty confident that Jake will be as prepared as he could possibly be. And you guys are in a little different spot than you’ve been in all year and that you’re playing a team with a worse record than you. I think your favorite for the first time from your seat as the motivator uh is from the head coach part. It’s the motivation part I guess. How is that different for you? Do you have to go into uh any different approach with how you talk to your guys about No, I it’s this is the next opponent. Um and I think we’ve been pretty consistent with the message from the first day I met with you guys to all the way to the end of the week here that um this this is an improving team. is a bunch of prideful guys and uh they’re they’re desperately looking to get their second win of the season and we’re desperately looking not to give that to them. So, um I think our guys are they’re feeling feeling like the urgency is is where it should be. It’s normal for us at this point. Um and like I said to start, I really feel like this is a big step for the growth of our team because the last time we had a short week like this, we didn’t handle it very well. And so, um that to me is the most important thing. It’s about us with from your last couple of years in Detroit. What did you learn about how to take each challenge as a as a new or each week as a new challenge when maybe you are favored? Maybe there are people saying, “Oh, you’re going to win that game.” Yeah. I I don’t uh I I didn’t know that we were favorite. I don’t I don’t really pay a ton of attention to that type of stuff unless it gets uh shown to me. It it wasn’t this week. Um you know, that’s that’s what happens when you win three in a row. All all I know that is we have yet to play our best football and what we’re capable of doing. And so when you turn on that tape from last week, there’s a number of things that we need to clean up. Um we’ve talked about uh I do think we’re getting better in certain aspects, but we’re still we’re still in a race there to get as as good as we can be before December because like I said, we’re going to be playing our best ball in December and January. And so um we’re still working our way to get there. Uh we’ve had some ups and some downs as we gone, but that’s the mission. That’s all we have in sight is is finding a way to improve this week from what we did last week. Is DJ if someone had said to you the Lions game, Ben, that hey, you guys are close. You’re about to go on a three-game winning streak, would you would you have believed that? Could you could you see it coming if you looked back that way? I I don’t think that far ahead. Um all I really cared about in that moment was that we were going to respond the right way for the next week, which which I thought we did. I thought we went back to work and uh you know I I certainly I have a lot of belief in this team. I have a lot of belief in the in those guys in that locker room. Um I think we we’re a talented group. I I think we have a really strong coaching staff and so uh most important to me is that we’re finding a way to get a little bit better each week and and that’s the message. It’s always has been. Um if you start looking in the past or too far in the future, that’s where things can go sideways in a hurry. So, we’re not going to do that. Is DJ uh trending toward playing and if he’s not a go if would it be Burton who would have a little more on his plate? Uh potentially. Yeah. I mean, we’re uh you know, every day right now. I feel like it was a case last week coming off the buy and same thing this week. Just each day we’re getting more clarity on on who’s going to be available for the game. And so, um hopefully we’ll yeah, not hopefully, we should have a good idea here after today and see see what that looks like. Only two days of practice, so we have limited sample size this week. Do you have a sense on the question? Yeah, I do. What is it? I’m hopeful. What he was able to give you guys last week, how important is that? And I know the whole running game, you know, with with guys beyond him was good, but just the tone that he was able to set. Was was there some intangible there that is valuable? Yeah, I I mean, he’s been the same guy since since I came back here. I mean, it it’s what I remember from my Detroit days when he was a rookie uh all the way until uh he left town there. It’s this guy is an explosive athlete. We just got to give him some space and and he can do some dynamic things with the ball in his hands. And so that’s been the case all season long. Um I’m glad it came to fruition there last week when we needed it. I I think he he has that ability to ignite our offense, give us a spark, make people miss in space, and and he can be dangerous. And so, um, that’s our mission as coaches and as his teammates is to help him find that space. Can Roshan get involved a little bit more? Did you see what did you see something that you like to obviously have him have that one carry in Washington? Do you hope that that becomes a trend or Yeah, I we certainly value what he’s bringing to us in a special teams capacity right now. Um, and yeah, it’s it’s one of those things where would love to get him more carries, but that also takes takes the ball away from other guys also. So, uh, I would love I would love to get him more, but it’s a little bit hard right now with all the mouths we have to feed. Do you see Manungai playing faster, maybe more downhill? Uh, I don’t know that I felt like I felt like he did that in the preseason. Um, I thought those preseason games he was pretty quick to to press a hole and then hit it hit it up the field. And so, uh, I think that’s carried over. I don’t see anything any different. I know, uh, uh, Coach Bene has been on all those guys about, uh, you know, stepping on the gas when they see it and and, uh, making sure we’re eliminating those negative runs that have plagued us there early. And, uh, I think I think he’s done a good job of that. And what did you like about um, Shamar at defensive end? uh he’s got he’s got a little bit more um weight to him, you know, so that we can combat both tackles and tight ends and and hold up um and win the line of scrimmage. So, I think that’s natural. Uh you know, I I was surprised. It kind of can be some foreign territory for some guys that are either moving outside in or inside out and and it kind of felt at home. I I think he felt comfortable there. It looked comfortable, at least from our perspective. Um, and so we’re hopeful that that’s going to take for us and and he’ll be able to help shore up our run game a little bit and and platoon with the rest of the crew. Um, the whole unit did a great job last week obviously with that run game and containing a very dangerous rushing attack and and I think that’s really going to be our starting point again this week. Does having DJ having DJ on the field free things up for Rome, especially in terms of like how you’re able to use Rome? Yeah, I uh I I like to think all of our weapons um make it very difficult for the defense to hone in on anybody. Uh I think I think Caleb’s done a great job not trying to just focus in on one guy and he’s he’s working on the intent of the play and and working within that system of uh the progression more so than uh more so than trying to feed a particular person. And so it’s on us as a coaching staff to make sure everyone’s involved. and and I think last week we had a number of players end up catching the ball in the passing. I think it was like eight guys. And so that’s really the vision for for what we want to do is distribute to everybody. Um I think DJ has a particular skill set that we’re looking to emphasize. Same thing with Rome, OZ, Luther, I mean you go on and on and on. All these pass catchers, they all bring a little something different to the table and uh they all have have earned playing time and touches. Coming out of the by, you said you were talking about certain areas of the offense that you wanted to see improve. You mentioned the screen game. What do you think needs to happen there in order to see that at the level where you think Well, I mean, we took a step forward on Monday night. Um, you know, to me, it starts with the details. I think you have to be a very disciplined unit. Um, you got to drill them. Uh, I think we have a good system in place in terms of getting those things repped and and the guys learning from those experiences. And so, uh, I believe in the way that we’re coaching it. And it it just takes the guys, particularly, uh, some new faces here, get used to it. And, uh, and so I think they’ve done a great job of that, particularly this last week of of getting those plays started. And once we get those those guys in some space, then they can turn it, we like to say, turn it into a punt return from there. And you can go wherever you want. But the landmarks that we start with are really important to to make sure the we’re in sync with our blockers and our pass catchers. Monday was the the first game. You guys did not have a false start. Were there things you saw in the operation? Obviously, it was clean that you could say this is not just for this game. This is things that we can take to the to the future weeks. You would just have to jinx us like that, wouldn’t you? No, I think I think uh man, we’re we’re we’re mindful of it. You know, we’ve been beating it like a drum. Um, and so I hopefully this trend continues for us, but we’re certainly conscious of it and uh, you know, it’s step number one is if we don’t beat ourselves on offense, I think we can do some pretty good things. But uh, too often here early in the season, drives have stalled because we’ve beaten ourselves and we’ve become behind the sticks. So the guys know that. Thank you.

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

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