The Ben Johnson offensive mindset was at work in Cincinnati during their practice with the Bengals, whether anyone knows it or not.
In fact, it’s been at work all of Bears offseason work and training camp.
Before the Bears-Bengals practice in Cincinnati, Johnson told reporters he wanted to see Caleb Williams off to a fast start.
“We start off today with 7-on-7 in the red zone and want to see him start off hot,” Johnson said.
At least part of that was achieved and that was in the red zone. Cincinnati and Bears media personnel attending the practice remarked about how effective the Bears were in the red zone.
This his been a major point of emphasis throughout training camp. The Bears were solid in the red zone last year under Johnson, finishing 12th at 58.2% touchdown percentage. If you think that’s acceptable, consider again what it was Johnson told The Athletic earlier in training camp.
“You’ve got 31 other teams coming to training camp saying, ‘Our goal is to win the Super Bowl.’ I want more than that,” Johnson told The Athletic.
“I want to have the highest-scoring offense ever, which happens to be the 2013 Denver Broncos. I know how many points per game they scored [37.9], and I want to surpass them. I want shutouts. I want blowouts.”
A team doesn’t have highest scoring totals ever or even that season by finishing 12th in the red zone.
The Bears were actually better than 12th the previous season when they went through three offensive coordinators and two play callers under Matt Eberflus, finishing eighth. That can’t be fun for Johnson to know. They were 13th each of the previous two years before Caleb WIlliams got to Chicago.
The important number here is where Johnson’s Lions offenses finished. They were fourth in the red zone in 2022, then third in 2023 and 2024.
Obviously Johnson knows the importance of getting the red zone number better because it’s what he has been used to doing.
They are built to be a red zone team:
- A quarterback who is mobile and can run it in or pass it from in close
- Colston Loveland, a tight end receiver tough to miss
- Cole Kmet’s strength always has been the red zone
- Rome Odunze is the self-anointed 50-50 ball king
- D’Andre Swift is a back fast enough to cut it to the pylon if asked, or catch a TD pass
- An offensive line that helped the team finish third in rushing but also protects Williams
Loveland caught a TD pass, as did Kalif Raymond. Loveland’s had to stir up bad memories for the Bengals after his miracle TD catch against them last year.
“I saw them rotate down into one-high, and then just knowing it’s Colston, that’s my guy, going up the seam, and the defender’s back was turned to me,” Williams said in the post-practice presser. “He turned around just at the end, but the ball was already going over the top. Colston ran a great route and made a great catch.”
The Bengals’ defense only saw what the Bears are facing on defense each day in practice, and it’s exactly what Williams and Co. are going to need to continue to show if they’re going to reach Johnson’s goal of highest scoring ever. They’re red-zone ability is tough to stop.
Defenses should have an edge in near the goal line in the passing game but the Bears are reducing that.
“They’ve got the back end line up to wherever we are and they’re a little more at the advantage in a coverage standpoint, so things happen faster,” Williams said. “So it’s just being able to deliver a ball and see coverage and give the guys a shot.”
They had several of them Thursday with the first team after the backups went 2-for-2 in last week’s game.
It’s easy to see how it’s all falling into the place Johnson wants it to be even without key injured players like Kyle Monangai and Luther Burden III.
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