Resilient and physical.
Those are the two words that best describe the Bears in Ben Johnson's first season as coach, at least according to veteran tight end Cole Kmet.
"With Ben coming in, he's really instilled those two points from the moment he's been here," Kmet said. "I go back to practices we had in camp and all the things he says to us in team meetings. They've really taken hold here in the building."
In his first year as a head coach at any level of football, Johnson has the Bears in first place in the NFC North and sitting atop the conference with a 9-3 record.
Asked by a reporter what he tells friends who ask what it's like playing for Johnson, Kmet said: "It's been a lot of fun. You guys have seen the intensity at times. But I think what gets underrated is his emotion and his passion for all of us here in the building. You can feel that every day. And anytime he's coaching you hard or addressing an issue that might be a little uncomfortable, you understand that it's coming from a good place."
The Bears' resilience is reflected in five comeback wins in which they scored the go-ahead points in the final 2:00 of regulation. The physical aspect is evident in a run game that ranks second in the NFL, averaging 153.8 yards per outing.
"It's predicated on physicality and finish," Kmet said. "When you see Ben—who really does the run installs for us—how fired up he gets as the play-caller about the run schemes that he's presenting for the week, it trickles to everybody in the room. Not only the offensive line and backs but tight ends, receivers, it really makes everyone want to be involved in it and really be on the details about it."
The ground game has benefited from the Bears employing motions, shifts and misdirection.
"I think it really confuses the defense as to where to put their eyes and really tests their assignments as to where they need to be," Kmet said. "It makes it really difficult for those guys. If you cause just a little bit of hesitation, especially with how we're coming off the football, it makes it hard for those defenders to engage and really recognize where the run scheme's going.
"It's definitely a lot of moving parts, but it's a lot of fun to be a part of and I think if you really dive into our tape, it's a fun run tape to watch."
Incremental improvement
Though gusty winds made it difficult to throw the ball last Friday in Philadelphia, Johnson lauded quarterback Caleb Williams for how smoothly he operated the offense in the Bears' 24-15 win.
"I felt that was one of the better jobs he's had in terms of getting the play call, calling the huddle, getting the motions, the shifts," Johnson said. "We had a lot of moving parts there in that game to create some eye candy for those defensive players. I thought he executed it really well for the most part. I screwed up a play call, and he made it right for me. That was good to see. He's getting better each and every week in that regard—of playing the quarterback position."
Big-game hunting
Williams' most impressive pass last Sunday resulted in a 28-yard touchdown to Kmet that extended the Bears' lead to 24-9 midway through the fourth quarter.
Despite unpredictable winds that affected both teams' passing games all day, Williams put perfect touch on the ball while scrambling to his left and hit Kmet in stride downfield.
"Caleb actually had a throw earlier, I think on that drive, where he kind of lofted it up and I think in the fourth quarter got a good feel for really how to throw it in the wind," Kmet said. "It was blowing, for sure; a lot of gusts up there especially when the ball was hanging up.
"I felt myself kind of pop there on the corner. I didn't know if Caleb would get to me. I think most quarterbacks would just probably throw it to the back and take the first down, but Caleb was kind of big-game hunting there and threw it up and spun the ball well enough for it to cut through the wind even though he put some air underneath it. It was a perfect throw and really sealed the deal for us there down the stretch."
A beautiful thing
While Johnson is maintaining his one-game-at-a-time approach heading into the home stretch of the season, he took a moment to reflect on the progress the Bears have made since he was named coach in January.
"That's why you do what you do," Johnson said. "You want to see a team come together. You want to see each phase continue to get better. You want to see each player continue to get better. We've seen that. What makes you proud as a coach is when you watch some guys go down because of attrition, injury, whatever that is, and other guys step up in their stead and answer that bell, and we've had a number of guys that have done that over the course of the year, and the team just rallies around them.
"That's the beautiful thing about sports, particularly team sports like we're in: It takes all of us to have success. As fortunate as we are to be winning football games right now, everyone knows that there's a way that that happens, and we're committed to doing the right work. Coaching staff doesn't take any shortcuts. Our players don't take any shortcuts. To see it all come to life and them get some results that they desperately desire, that's always a beautiful thing."
Pro Bowl voting
Eight Bears players are in the top five in Pro Bowl voting at their respective positions. Guard Joe Thuney and safety Kevin Byard III are first; center Drew Dalman and cornerback Nahshon Wright are second; special teams contributor Josh Blackwell and long snapper Scott Daly are third; and right tackle Darnell Wright and return specialist Devin Duvernay are fourth. Pro Bowl voting runs through Dec. 15. Fans can vote for their favorite Bears by visiting ChicagoBears.com/ProBowl.
