Ben Johnson can't take a compliment

The Bears' 23-12 victory over the Jets on Sunday at Soldier Field was another big win for coach Ben Johnson, who now has won three games with three different quarterbacks in the first four games of the season. And the quarterback — Caleb Williams (124.1 passer rating ) against the Panthers, Case Keenum (110.8) against the Eagles and Tyson Bagent (83.9) against the Jets — has played a key, if not starring, role in all three victories.

(The last time the Bears won three games in four weeks with three different starting quarterbacks was in 2003 — Chris Chandler, Kordell Stewart and Rex Grossman. But Chandler (57.4) was benched in the second half and replaced by Stewart in a 19-10 victory over the Broncos; and Grossman (60.0), a rookie, was ineffective in a 13-10 win over the Vikings.)

It was yet another example of how much of a difference Johnson has made since being hired as the Bears' head coach and a further illustration that — until Williams takes it to another level, if ever — the offense is the star of the Ben Johnson offense. Dennis Allen's defense was a bigger factor in Sunday's victory over the Jets, but even there Johnson deserves some credit. His offense dominated time of possession so thoroughly — 42:45-17:15 in time; 89-32 in plays — that Allen's defense was fresh throughout the game and only had eight possessions to defend.

And to think it all started Sunday with a fit of petulance by Johnson that — for now, anyway — is a cute little footnote that might tell us a little more about Johnson than he wants people to know. Irked that few if any bought his apparent competitive-edge ploy to not name a starting quarterback before Sunday — most people correctly presumed it would be Bagent — Johnson actually started Keenum for the first snap, a pitchout to running back D'Andre Swift for two yards. Bagent, who was on the field for the opening play, replaced Keenum at quarterback on the second play and played the rest of the game.

"I got all these memos saying that Tyson was starting before I ever made an announcement," Johnson told reporters after the game, "so I wanted to get Case out there [for the first snap]. It was like a ceremonial first pitch out there, handing off the torch."

Kind of strange that a head coach would go to those lengths to — I guess — prove everyone wrong? And his rationale for the move was just as strange. A ceremonial first pitch is — by definition — "ceremonial," not a part of the actual game. Not sure the the "handing off the torch" was all about, but it's probably Ben being Ben. Like his concocted rivalry with Packers coach Matt LaFleur, it's a little unbecoming of a coach of his accomplishment to be that petty, but — for now — a quirk of his personality that makes him tick.

And, as someone who was more emphatic than most that Bagent would be the starter ("I've seen this game played for decades. It will be Tyson Bagent vs. the Jets on Sunday," I tweeted on Wednesday), I think the presumption Bagent would start was a compliment to Johnson. I can only speak for myself, but I knew Bagent would start because I respect Johnson's faith in himself as a coach.

Through an entire offseason/training camp/preseason, Johnson determined that Bagent was his No. 2 and Keenum his No. 3. I didn't think he was going to start wavering — and not trust his own judgment — just because Keenum had a good game. That's what unsuccessful coaches do. The successful coaches trust their own judgment. And a sharp guy with a healthy ego such as Johnson fits that profile.

(And besides, the notion that Keenum was the "hot hand" was inaccurate. Keenum's performance against the Eagles was what Johnson expects out of a quarterback just by following the rules of his offense. It's not like he was Kurt Warner throwing five touchdowns with a near-perfect passer rating. Keenum's 110.8 rating, by the way, wasn't that far above the average passer rating in three seasons with the Lions (102.7). It would rank 22nd out of 51 starts by Jared Goff in that span — not far from the median of 103.6.)

So even after Keenum's impressive performance, Bagent still was the easy choice — a nod to Johnson's offensive expertise, his offense being the star of the offense, and most of all to Johnson's headstrong faith in his own judgment. It led him to a quirky, odd moment. But instead of being irked by his failed gambit, he should take it as a compliment. He did what good coaches do.