Ben Johnson has strayed away from his offensive identity in the Bears’ first two games

The Chicago Bears were blown out in Detroit on Sunday by the Lions in a 52-21 throttling, as head coach Ben Johnson made his return to Detroit for the first time since leaving the team this past January. Johnson served as the Lions’ offensive play-caller for the last three and a half season, turning their offense into one of the most explosive and consistently productive unit in the league over that time. It was that level of production which led Chicago into hiring the play-caller, yet through two games into the 2025 season, it appears that the promising head coach has gotten away from the scheme that symbolized his successful play-calling.

Ben Johnson isn’t executing the same style of play-calling early on that he did when he was successful in Detroit

Ben Johnson’s offensive success from 2022 to 2024 with the Lions was due in part to two significant factors, which including a strong rushing offense paired with a utilization of two tight end sets to set up the passing offense. During the three years in which Johnson served as Detroit’s play-caller, the offense featured at least one 1,000-yard rusher each year, along with the rushing attack generating over 2,100 rushing yards or more in each of those three seasons. In those three seasons, the Lions rushing offense finished 11th or higher in the league in rushing yards.

Johnson’s ability to have a successful rushing offense matters significantly to the success of the passing offense because he has had a strong reliance on play-action pass-designs to help free up passing targets. With his reliance on the two-tight end formations, Ben Johnson has been create spacing for his pass-catchers as opposing defenses are fooled into believing that an upcoming play will be a run due to the formation and then be frozen by a play-action. The opposing linebackers and safeties being frozen by a fake hand off has allowed for the Lions’ tight ends, especially Sam LaPorta to be highly productive the past two seasons, as he has racked up over 146 receptions and 1,615 receiving yards.

The successful level of rushing production paired with tight end productivity on offense was what Bears’ fans and the media expected the team was getting when Ben Johnson was hired back in January of this year. However, through the first two games of 2025, neither has transpired under Johnson, as it appears that the play-caller has gotten away with what got him hired. In Chicago’s two games, their running back in D’Andre Swift and rookie Kyle Monangai have recorded a total of 36 rushing attempts, with an average attempt per game being 18 so far.

During the Lions first two games of the 2024 season, running backs David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs combined for 52 rushing attempts under Johnson. Additionally, the Lions’ dynamic duo recorded over 260 rushing yards in their first two game last year, while Swift and Monangai have combined for 144 rushing yards over the past two week, with a majority of the rookie’s rushing production coming at the end of Sunday’s blowout loss. To make matter worse for Ben Johnson, his second-year quarterback in Caleb Williams as nearly half of Chicago’s rushing yards in the two games, as he has rushed for 88 yards.

Without a consistent and productive rushing offense, Johnson’s ability to setup the passing offense off of play-action designs will fail miserably, as there is no threat to freeze opposing defenders. Furthermore, In Chicago’s two losses, Ben Johnson has failed to get his tight ends involved in the passing offense.  Cole Kmet and rookie first-rounder Colston Loveland have combined for a total of eight targets, six receptions, and 66 receiving yards with 52 of those yards coming on two catches by Kmet.

Last season in Detroit first two games, Johnson’s offense targeted tight ends nine times, as LaPorta averaged nearly four receptions in those two games. The failure to get Kmet and Loveland more involved in the passing offense is even more confusing, given what Ben Johnson showed in the preseason. In Chicago’s second preseason game against the Buffalo Bills, the two tight ends were targeted three time which led to three receptions for over 59 receiving yards on the lone touchdown drive by the starting offense.

Ben Johnson could be lacking confidence in his current cast of running backs

An issue Johnson may be having with his rushing offense through the Bears’ first two games in a lack of confidence in his running back personnel. During his time in Detroit, Ben Johnson had three capable ball-carriers in Montgomery, Gibbs, and Jamaal Williams who were capable of being dual-threat half-backs. All three backs were capable being successful on inside and outside runs and contained an even balance of power and speed.

Unfortunately for Ben Johnson, the Bears running backs lack that needed blend of power and speed, along with Monangai having no experience being a rookie. Although Swift has breakaway speed, he has struggled with vision, especially when it comes to choosing the correct running lane on run between the tackles. The struggle in having a starting running back being ineffective on inside runs kills Johnson’s ability to have an effective passing offense set up by play-action designs.

On Sunday, the Bears got their third running back in Roschon Johnson, yet he did not record a single handoff nor was on field for a play. The issue for Ben Johnson when it comes to uses Johnson is that the third year running back is terrific in short yardage situation, but lacks game-changing speed as his longest rushing attempt of 2024 was just nine yards. This again fails to create any credible threat for Chicago’s rushing offense, which in turn renders the passing offense ineffective.

Heading into this past offseason and leading up to the start of this season, fans and the media were highly critical of general manager Ryan Poles’ inability to address the running back position. It was expected that Chicago would sign a veteran back in free agency or utilize a high round selection during the draft, yet Monangai was the only player added when he was taken in the seventh round of this year’s draft. Johnson’s lack of faith in his running back was shown during ten plays in the second quarter against the Lions on Sunday, where only two running plays were called.

Chicago starting the 2025 season with two losses was to be expected with a new head coach and a second-year quarterback, but there was supposed to be more productivity and continuity on offense under Ben Johnson. There hasn’t been a reliance on the rushing offense to help set up the passing offense while also not utilizing the tight ends more when passing. The best way for Johnson to get his team, especially offense, in the right direction would be to make more of a focus on what made him successful during his three seasons with Detroit.