Ben Johnson undeniably did great things with the Chicago Bears in his first season with the team, in 2025. They went from the bottom of the NFC North straight to the top. They didn’t go all the way, but what a turnaround.
Now, he appears to be doing it again. There’s a lot of football left to be played, but the Bears are 7-2 and at the top of the NFC North going into Week 10. There’s nothing to cry about there.
But they have to keep at it, because the NFC North is a tough division. It’s one of the strongest in the league. Between the Bears, Minnesota Vikings, Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers, this division has four franchises that are all serious about going all the way. But those other teams don’t have something the Bears do: Johnson.
Ben Johnson gives the Bears a coaching advantage over their NFC North rivals as Chicago looks to make a run at the top
On Friday, in a piece for ESPN, Jeremy Fowler talks about the state of the NFC North and its winning collection of teams. He praises all of the teams but points out that the Bears have Johnson, and that puts them a step above the rest.
In the piece, he says that “it’s the man who once led the Detroit offense, Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson, who’s considered a separator.”
“Chicago is the best-coached,” an AFC executive told ESPN. “He’s elite. One of the best in the NFL and only in Year 2. One of the best offenses week-in and week-out, as well. Defense is solid. Caleb [Williams] just has to play within the scheme and they will win it easily, I believe.”
For Chicago, the question is defense. The defense has to perform well, but if it does, this team could very well go all the way.
