11 personnel\u00a0(3 WR sets) accounted for 46% of Detroit\u2019s offense<\/p>\n
12 personnel: 108 plays<\/p>\n
Jumbo 12: 21 plays<\/p>\n
Total 12-personnel usage: ~33%<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Top_5_NFL_Teams_by_12_Personnel_Usage_2024-2025_Season-958x580.webp.webp\")
Top 5 NFL Teams by 12 Personnel Usage: 2024-25 Season<\/p>\n
EPA (Expected Points Added):<\/p>\n
12 Personnel Pass: Highest EPA of any Detroit formation<\/p>\n
12 Jumbo Rush: Top 10 EPA among run concepts<\/p>\n
Pass\/Run Balance:<\/p>\n
11 Personnel: 62% pass \/ 38% run<\/p>\n
12 Personnel: 46% pass \/ 54% run<\/p>\n
12 Jumbo: Heavily run-focused<\/p>\n
In other words, Johnson isn\u2019t predictable even when you\u00a0think\u00a0he\u2019s tipping run.<\/p>\n
Formations That Murdered Defenses<\/p>\n
Now that we\u2019ve seen how 12-personnel thrived under Johnson\u2019s system, it\u2019s time to unpack exactly how he arranged his chess pieces. These weren\u2019t just basic alignments \u2014 each formation was a calculated trap, designed to lure defenses into tendencies before flipping the script. Let\u2019s break down the core alignments that turned Detroit\u2019s offense into a matchup nightmare.<\/p>\n
Ace Formation (2\u00d72 Spread)<\/p>\n
Classic misdirection bait:<\/p>\n
Two TEs off the LOS, wideouts split wide<\/p>\n
Often used to probe base defenses<\/p>\n
Motion triggers LB movement<\/p>\n
Play-action setups that punish overcommitting<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Screenshot-2025-07-20-at-12.50.05\u202fPM.png\")
<\/p>\n
Singleback Ace Formation, per madden-school.com<\/p>\n
Broken Bunch Formation (3\u00d71 Variation)<\/p>\n
Offset tight end sets<\/p>\n
Stretch runs with counter cutbacks<\/p>\n
Elite space for RBs like Gibbs<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Screenshot-2025-07-20-at-12.50.12\u202fPM.png\")
<\/p>\n
Singleback Bunch Formation, per madden-school.com<\/p>\n
Trey Formation<\/p>\n
Both TEs on one side with WR solo opposite<\/p>\n
Looks run-heavy, hits with PA drag or under\/over TE leaks<\/p>\n
Forces defensive overreaction to strong-side power<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Untitled-design-16.png\")
<\/p>\n
Shotgun Trey Formation, per madden-school.com<\/p>\n
The \u201cStar Concept\u201d<\/p>\n
you\u2019ve seen this in high-leverage moments:<\/p>\n
Seam-Go by WR<\/p>\n
Dig by the opposite side<\/p>\n
Flat release by RB<\/p>\n
Stress test for linebackers and safeties. Either you cover the dig or get torched by the RB leak.<\/p>\n
The Ben Johnson Philosophy<\/p>\n
Before we dive into how Johnson will fit his system in Chicago, it\u2019s important to understand the underlying principles that made his Detroit offense such a nightmare to defend. These aren\u2019t just play calls. They\u2019re calculated setups built to disorient and dismantle even the smartest defensive units.<\/p>\n
Bait & Switch: Show one thing, do another<\/p>\n
Formation Variance: Recycle looks but invert strength or motion<\/p>\n
Maximizing Matchups: LaPorta draws coverage, Wright gets the throw<\/p>\n
No Tell-Motion: Confuse post-snap reads<\/p>\n
Strategic Chaos: Make defenses\u00a0react, never initiate<\/p>\n
This is not plug-and-play. It\u2019s engineering.<\/p>\n
Now: What Happens in Chicago?<\/p>\n
So Johnson takes over in Chicago, a franchise historically allergic to competent offense. Now he gets a roster with:<\/p>\n
Cole Kmet & Colston Loveland\u00a0at TE<\/p>\n
DJ Moore,\u00a0Rome Odunze,\u00a0Luther Burden III\u00a0at WR<\/p>\n
D\u2019Andre Swift\u00a0&\u00a0Roschon Johnson\u00a0in the backfield<\/p>\n
Caleb Williams\u00a0at QB<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s how Johnson can import the 12-Personnel chaos to the Bears:<\/p>\n
Tight End Room: Building Blocks<\/p>\n
Detroit had LaPorta (TE1) and Wright (inline bruiser). In Chicago:<\/p>\n
Kmet\u00a0= Wright role, inline blocking + RZ target<\/p>\n
Colston Loveland\u00a0= LaPorta role, Motion-capable TE with receiving upside, capable of flexing into slot or acting as H-back weapon<\/p>\n
TE room is \u201cgood enough,\u201d and they may have found their LaPorta clone by drafting Colston Loveland with their first pick in the first round<\/p>\n
With Colston Loveland taken in the first round, Chicago signaled they\u2019re going all-in on replicating the Detroit model. He\u2019s not just a pick \u2014 he\u2019s the centerpiece of their 12-Personnel ambitions, giving Johnson the LaPorta-like weapon his scheme demands.<\/p>\n
QB Fit: Goff vs. Williams<\/p>\n
This ain\u2019t Jared Goff anymore. In Detroit, Johnson had a rhythm passer who excelled inside a defined pocket with tight timing throws. The entire scheme hummed off Goff\u2019s ability to read pre-snap indicators and execute play-action with mechanical precision. Now in Chicago, Johnson has to recalibrate. He\u2019s got Caleb Williams \u2014 a dynamic, improvisational quarterback whose skillset leans more Mahomes than Manning. The challenge? Translating a structured, sequence-based offense into something that still supports timing while unleashing Williams\u2019 spontaneous playmaking.<\/p>\n
Goff\u00a0= timing, structure, precision<\/p>\n
Williams\u00a0= off-platform wizard with elite vision<\/p>\n
Johnson will\u00a0adjust the offense, not force it. Expect:<\/p>\n
More\u00a0boot-action<\/p>\n
Zone-read RPOs\u00a0from 12-Personnel<\/p>\n
More misdirection packages or motion-triggered RPO looks<\/p>\n
The added QB mobility actually\u00a0unlocks\u00a0more trickery from these formations.<\/p>\n
RB Usage: Sonic & Knuckles 2.0?<\/p>\n
Detroit had thunder-and-lightning with Montgomery & Gibbs.<\/p>\n
Chicago has:<\/p>\n
Roschon Johnson\u00a0= downhill punch<\/p>\n
D\u2019Andre Swift\u00a0= outside zone burst<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t be shocked when Johnson installs the\u00a0exact same cutback-heavy zone system. Expect:<\/p>\n
Motion TE across, insert trap run<\/p>\n
Pull backside guard, bait edge to wrong shoulder<\/p>\n
Hit gaps with Herbert or go power with Roschon<\/p>\n
Motion Packages: DJ Moore as St. Brown?<\/p>\n
Motion is the soul of Ben Johnson\u2019s offense. It\u2019s how he forces linebackers into panic attacks, disguises intentions, and gets your best player the ball in space. In Chicago, he inherits serious tools to keep that motion magic alive.<\/p>\n
Moore\u00a0gives Johnson his ace slot\/blocker\/route-slayer hybrid<\/p>\n
Rome Odunze\u00a0is the high-IQ possession receiver with contested catch skills and route refinement well beyond his years<\/p>\n
Luther Burden III = Jameson-lite (stretch speed, big YAC guy)<\/p>\n
Expect:<\/p>\n
Stacked formations<\/p>\n
Split-flow misdirection<\/p>\n
Moore in motion to flip strength pre-snap<\/p>\n
Motion isn\u2019t just eye candy in this offense. It\u2019s control.<\/p>\n
The Chessboard Is Set<\/p>\n
If you give Johnson:<\/p>\n
A functional OL<\/p>\n
Two serviceable TEs<\/p>\n
Two dynamic backs<\/p>\n
A QB with processing or mobility<\/p>\n
Then boom \u2014 he\u2019s going to recreate the same\u00a0defensive brain-melter\u00a0he built in Detroit. The 12-Personnel foundation isn\u2019t going away. It\u2019s just getting meaner.<\/p>\n
Final Verdict<\/p>\n
Ben Johnson\u2019s 12-Personnel system changed the game in Detroit. And now he\u2019s rebooting it in Chicago. If he drafts the right TE, tweaks the offense for his QB\u2019s mobility, and keeps hammering motion variance and play-action disguise?<\/p>\n
The Bears won\u2019t just be competent. They\u2019ll be a f*cking problem.<\/p>\n
And every NFC North coach knows it.<\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Let\u2019s get something straight: Ben Johnson didn\u2019t just design a top-tier offense in Detroit. He rewrote the damn…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":222529,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2071],"tags":[1035,1036,391,3744,590,4903,146,113,2506,1475,7,147,277,6,2495,4077],"class_list":{"0":"post-222528","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-detroit-lions","8":"tag-ben-johnson","9":"tag-caleb-williams","10":"tag-chicago-bears","11":"tag-cole-kmet","12":"tag-colston-loveland","13":"tag-dandre-swift","14":"tag-detroit","15":"tag-detroit-lions","16":"tag-detroitlions","17":"tag-dj-moore","18":"tag-football","19":"tag-lions","20":"tag-luther-burden","21":"tag-nfl","22":"tag-rome-odunze","23":"tag-roschon-johnson"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/114886796000421317","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/222528","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=222528"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/222528\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/222529"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=222528"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=222528"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=222528"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}