Ben Johnson previews personnel matchups vs. Ravens | Chicago Bears

Ben Johnson previews personnel matchups vs. Ravens | Chicago Bears

It’s like football weather out there, huh? Um, yeah. So, back at it here today. Guys are are ready to ready to go. Uh, got a head start on uh on Baltimore yesterday there. And, uh, listen, it’s a good good team. The record really doesn’t indicate what they’re capable of doing. Um, they can put up points in bunches and and this defense is always since Harball’s been there has always found a way to respond. So, even last year when they didn’t start off hot, they came back and they finished the season real strong. So, excuse me. I know coming off a bye-week here, they they’ll be fresh. They’ll be rested. They’ll be they’ll be ripping and roaring, ready to go. Coach Harbaugh, I think this is his 18th year. He’s only had two losing seasons. So, um he knows what he’s doing. So, uh we got to be on our stuff here this week. I’ll go ahead and open it up. Caleb had said after the game, Ben, that because of how well the running game has been going and how well the defense is playing that he paraphrasing that if he does his part, the passing game does their part. He used the word devastating that the offense could be devastating or the team can be. Do you look at it that way at this point that it it’s just his part now that needs to get better? I I I don’t think we’ve played a a collective 60 minutes yet as a team. Um, and I think it’ll it will be a beautiful thing when that happens on in really in all three phases. Uh, offensively, we’ve had times where the passing games look good. We’ve had times where the running games look good, but um, you know, it just it just hasn’t come together as a entire team or entire unit quite yet. And so, um, yeah, to his point, it it’ll be it’ll be a fun thing to watch when that happens. Ben, the amount of time that Caleb is holding the ball, uh, on average, is that something you’re happy with? you want to see it change a little bit. Um, and what is it a consequence of? Um, shoot. I don’t I don’t have those numbers or or anything. I don’t know um if it’s if it’s high or low compared seconds. Is that is that higher than average? Is that highest right now in the league? Okay. Um, so I I’m not aware of that. I know that um he certainly is extending plays probably more so than most. And so maybe that augments that number a little bit. Uh really throughout this process in the spring and and in camp, we’ve been pretty consistent with let’s drill the footwork. Let’s let’s uh have that footwork guide us through our progressions. And uh you know, there’s times where we’re really good at it and there’s other times where where we maybe are either too fast or we’re too slow. And so uh we’re working through that and I think we’re we’re learning from it as well. Um but but yeah, it’s it’s still a work in progress. You acknowledged the other day that he can hurt a team with his legs and I know you’ve said similar just with Caleb being able to get out on the run. Since he didn’t do that against New Orleans, what do you want him to be judicious of or conscious of against the Ravens if those opportunities arise to be able to take off and not wait maybe longer to get receivers open? Yeah, I think I think the most important thing is that we’re playing efficient football. um throughout the season so far, we’ve been behind the sticks quite a bit. And so whether that’s penalties, whether that’s um negative runs, whether that’s sacks, whether that’s uh simply like you’re alluding to where we’re not taking what’s given to us, we’re trying to force something that that might not be as easy to get. And so um I think as a whole offense, that’s that’s our mission right now is if we can just stay on schedule, stay on track, then uh we’re this thing’s going to come to life. We got some really talented players in in every position room and so um yeah, I would like to just be more efficient as an offense. We’d like to throw more completions. We would like to just continue to move the ball forward and then when we do that, we have to be better in the red zone. I think that’s the other Achilles heel that we have right now. We’re making it down there, but we’re not scoring seven points. We’re just settling for field goals um last couple weeks. So, if we do those two things on offense, I think you’ll you’ll see improvement. Have you been able to diagnose some of those red zone issues? cuz I know you said coming out of the game that it wasn’t like an easy tell. Is it tight windows that are just being missed? Like what do you think it is? Yeah, I think the passing game uh I think we can do a better job throughout the week just making sure we all see it the same. Um, you know, normally that stuff goes in at the at the end of the week and so you only get one rep of it and it’s it’s a little bit newer, particularly some of those designer concepts. And so there’s been a few of those where um the defense hasn’t given us the coverage we wanted or uh you know, we we just simply haven’t done a good job progressing to the next fast enough. And so that that’s something that Caleb’s learning. And uh I think he’ll be better there. And and as always, we need to be efficient running the ball down there. I think I think it usually starts with that. And with Tmaine with Tummaine Edmonds, uh what are you seeing from the player that you scouted before you started coaching that you kind of reviewed his film from last year? What are you seeing now this year that uh is just more active and more of a playmaker? What’s the difference? Yeah, I I can’t speak too much for last year. Um here’s what I can say though. since I’ve been in the building, you know, we we loaded both him and TJ up in the springtime in a camp and both of them learned both Will and Mike and I think Richard Smith’s done a phenomenal job with it. You know, that was kind of the plan all along was to the more that they can get experience in both those spots, the faster that they’ll end up playing. And it might not feel comfortable at the time and it wasn’t comfortable. There there were a lot of growing pains there in the spring and during camp. Um, but now that we’ve gotten to this point and we we feel pretty good about having TJ at that mic spot and Tmaine at the will and I think he’s really settled down there as well. And so I think you’re seeing a guy that’s playing fast. He’s playing confident. Um, I’m seeing him come downhill and and attack blocks in the run game. He’s pulling guys off double teams on a regular basis. And then, you know, and when it comes to the coverage game, he’s always been a guy you got to account for just because of how long he is. you know, you get the ball, you’re trying to fit in a tight window in the zones, and he’s just so darn long, his arm’s going to knock it down or tip it up, and and you got a problem there if you’re on offense. And so, uh, I I do think he’s playing at a high level right now. On the flip side, uh, Rocoan Smith is basically the player he replaced here. How do you size up Roan as a problem as you’re game planning offense? Yeah. No, I mean, he he is fast. I think that’s what stands out. He he diagnoses quickly. um see ball, get balls sideline to sideline. Uh if our offensive lineman’s responsible for him in the running game, we got to be on our horse because he’s fast and then he finds a way to shed. He finds a way to to get around blocks and and be around the football. So, um we’re going to have to do our best to cover him up. You know, it seems like he’s been an allp pro now for what, five years in a row, I think. Something some outstanding number like that. So, he’s he is playing at a super high level. Um, and and I know they’ll welcome him back on that defense. He’s gonna he’s going to help them out. What’s the challenge this week with the uncertainty around Lamar Jackson’s availability? Say it again. What’s the challenge with the uncertainty? Well, yeah, we’ll we’ll approach it that he’s starting for them and uh that that’s our starting point. Then you said that uh earlier back here uh that uh it was on you to get the uh Titans involved more in the passing game. Uh, has that been game plan that’s kind of kept him out of it or is Caleb not looking at that? And is, uh, someone like Coulson ready for more of a role? Yeah. Yeah. No, listen, Coulson’s coming along nicely. He I think he showed up in a very positive manner in the running game and then the routes that we are asking him to run, I think he’s doing a really nice job of it. And so, um, we’re going to continue to to push that envelope. You know, I look down at that stat sheet last week and you know, when you when you complete less than 20 of your balls, you’re gonna you’re going to be disappointed in a number of different area. You know, I want to get Rome the ball more. I want to get DJ the ball more. Luther deserves more. Oz deserves we we’ve got all these mouths we have to feed. And so, in order to uh make sure that they’re all getting the getting touches, we we just got to find completions. And so, um I’m I’m pleased with how Coulson’s playing. And I know that the production, call it six games into it, isn’t isn’t what uh any of us maybe had had looked for from a number perspective, but he’s impacting games in a very positive fashion for us and he’s a reason why our offense is going to continue to get better. Is he in a position, Ben, to if you put have to put more on his plate because of KT? Is he in a position to kind of add on to what he already knows or or do you want to kind of I don’t think there’s any question about it. I mean, since he’s entered the building, he for a rookie, he’s one of the more professional guys I’ve ever been around. He his approach to to uh practice to meetings, it’s it’s outstanding. And so, um, yeah, mentally he can handle all of it. And then physically, I think he he continues to grow. And on the back end of that Baltimore defense, how do you describe the the danger of Kyle Hamilton and what you have to be aware of? Yeah, no, he he’s a problem. He’s a problem and and they’re moving him around. you know, he played a little bit more nickel this last week against uh LA and so they’re finding the right home for him. But I mean, you look all those guys on the back end are are really talented athletes. I want to say they have what four first rounders back there and uh you know I thought the world of Starks coming out this year, you know, so he he’s a dynamic player, too. Um but both corners, uh Humphrey and and Wiggins, they’re really good coverage players. uh our our white outs are going to have to have to be on their stuff here this week for us to have success and we’re talking about getting the passing game better from where it was last week. We we got our work cut out for us. What have you been most proud of in the run game? Um I I think it’s those combination blocks that I keep talking about. I think uh the guys up front, the more time on task we’ve had, the the better the results been. Um, I always love after a game turning on the sideline view of all of our all of our runs and I just first thing I look for is what what’s happening with that line of scrimmage. Is it going forward or is it going back? And uh and that’s really on both sides of the ball. I like doing that for our defense as well because I do think that tells the story a little bit of of uh you know physicality and and what you’re doing. I think you win and lose games up there. And so, um, this past week I certainly felt it going hard, you know, pushing on the defensive side of the ball more. And, uh, I think that’s an encouraging thing. I think, uh, it’s good to have Darnell out there. He’s a powerful human being. I think Jonah’s playing at a high level. Drew is getting more comfortable in this system. You know, there’s a lot there’s a lot we put on our centers plates from a mental standpoint to make sure that we’re targeted correctly, and that he’s doing a great job with that. Tuni’s a just a stud, man. I mean, you just model of consistency and then then Theo is is really powerful in the run game as well. So, I think we we’ve got five guys up there right now that are uh you know, they’re just going to continue to gel. Thank

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

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