Bears hiring Ben Johnson the right move, but only half the battle

It's taken a few tries now, but the Chicago Bears have finally found the right coach to bring them back to contention.

Now all they have to do is build the team to go with him.

ESPN's Courtney Cronin reported the Bears are finalizing a contract with Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson.

Johnson was the hottest name in the coaching carousel this year, an innovative mind capable of maximizing the talent he's got on that side of the ball with a knack for aggressiveness.

He's taking over a team with plenty of talent in the passing game, and a wellspring of untapped potential. Quarterback Caleb Williams showed flashes of brilliance last year, and wide receivers Rome Odunze, D.J. Moore and Keenan Allen are all excellent pass catchers.

Given Johnson's proven knack for building his scheme around the talent he has and not shoehorning players into systems where they might not work, this figures to be an excellent fit.

But, in order to really make it work, the Bears cannot be done here. Now, the real work starts, and it should start with fixing a bad offensive line.

Chicago ranked 17th this season, firmly in the middle of the league. More troubling than that ranking is the fact that Williams, the face of the franchise for the forseeable future, was sacked 68 times, most in the NFL, and the Bears had the highest sack percentage on dropbacks of any team in the league by 1.6 percentage points, sitting at a stunning 10.7 percent. Some of that was due to Williams holding onto the ball too long, but some of it was also an offensive line that was just struggling.

The secret behind Detroit's rise to the top of the NFL wasn't Jared Goff, wasn't even Amon Ra St. Brown or Jameson Williams, or Jahmyr Gibbs. It was building an offense line that was one of the best in the league this year. They kept Jared Goff upright, and allowed Johnson's offense to really hum.

Of equal concern is finding a running back who can make plays in the NFL. D'Andre Swift was not the go-to back in Detroit for one season under Johnson, and they clearly weren't too broken up about losing him in the trade with the Eagles before the 2023 season. This is a solid class for running backs, with everyone from Ashton Jeanty to Cam Skattebo to Dylan Sampson in it. Find a solid replacement or battery mate for Swift, and Johnson's creativity can really shine through.

Shoring up a run defense that ranked 28th in yards allowed, and 24th in touchdowns probably wouldn't hurt either.

Does Johnson have the skills to bring Chicago back to contention? Absolutely. But in order for him to do it, this team needs to prove they're willing to make the moves to build a proper squad for him to work with.

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Bears hiring Ben Johnson the right move, but only half the battle for return to contention

By Sam Westmoreland | 6:23 PM EST