The Ben Johnson Effect? So far, so good

The story last week by NFL insider Tyler Dunne that blamed quarterback Caleb Williams for a key role in the Bears' disastrous 2024 season, like the book excerpt by ESPN reporter Seth Wickersham in May that blamed the Bears' coaching staff for the implosion, didn't really rattle anything inside Halas Hall — except maybe for Wickersham's book excerpt compelling the Bears to have Willams respond publicly. If there's one thing the Bears are good at — besides landscaping — it's insulating themselves from these frays, including the constructive criticism that could help the Bears avoid the next one.

It was Bears fans and media (and Bears fan-media) that felt the impact and created the debate that bleeds into the regular-season opener against the Vikings on Monday Night Football. And regardless of the debate, the daunting, haunting reality — as usual — is that both stories are accurate.

Whenever two sides are getting blamed at Halas Hall — Jay Cutler vs. Mike Martz, Marc Trestman vs. Phil Emery, Jay Cutler vs. Aaron Kromer, Mitch Trubisky vs. Matt Nagy, Jay Cutler vs. himself, Matt Eberflus vs. his players, it always turns out that both sides are to blame. It's uncanny, and supports the notion that something about Halas Hall brings out the worst in everybody — except Vic Fangio.

But in the latest episode — Caleb Williams v. Shane Waldron/Matt Eberflus and the coaching staff — the two stories had one distinct commonality. Ben Johnson had nothing to do with it. That dysfunctional season is the reason he's here. And since George McCaskey broke the bank to hire the hottest candidate in the 2025 coaching cycle, The Ben Johnson Effect has been the star of the show at Halas Hall.

And while The Ben Johnson Effect has been real, it's still September of Year 1. Trestman was a similar breath of fresh air at this point of his first season in 2013 (and he started 3-0, hanging 40 points on the Steelers to win at Heinz Field before things went south). Matt Nagy was sounding just as refreshing and nearly as candid and confident at this point of his first season in 2018 (and went 12-4 to win the NFC North before his aura faded in 2019).

Like so many others, even the initially successful at Halas Hall eventually became the worst version of themselves. It's been said before and can't be said enough on the eve of his first game as the Bears' head coach: Ben Johnson is the ultimate test of Halas Hall dysfunction. His mission is to change Halas Hall before it changes him, because history says that if the former doesn't happen, the latter will.

So far, so good. On Sunday, we saw the flip side of The Ben Johnson Effect — the Lions' offense without Johnson (and retired center Frank Ragnow) looked like a shell of itself in a 27-13 loss to the Packers (and Micah Parsons) at Lambeau Field. If not for a garbage-time touchdown in the final minute, it would have been the first time the Lions had not scored an offensive touchdown since Week 7 of the 2022 season — Johnson's sixth game as OC.

Obviously that's a small sample size and a tough, perhaps specious, opener against the Packers with Parsons at Lambeau. But the Lions with Johnson were much better than that even in tough circumstances, even in Week 1. (In openers with Johnson as offensive coordinator, the Lions in 2022 scored 35 points with 368 total yards against the Eagles, who would rank eighth in points allowed and second in yards allowed; in 2023, they scored 14 points with 368 yards against the Chiefs, who would rank second in points and yards allowed in 2023; and in 2024, they scored 26 points with 363 yards against the Rams, who would finish 17th in points allowed and 26th in yards allowed.)

It's early, but you can already see The Ben Johnson Effect. The Bears before Monday night's opener were listed as 4 1/2-point underdogs against the Lions at Ford Field on Sunday. They were 10 1/2-point underdogs with Johnson on the other side in Week 13 last season at Ford Field. And it could go lower if Johnson hangs 30 points or more against the Vikings on Monday night. For the record, the Lions with Johnson as offensive coordinator scored 30, 30, 31 and 31 points in four games against the Vikings and defensive coordinator Brian Flores in 2023 and 2024.

But now he's with the Bears, who have scored 19, 12, 27 (17 in the last 7:22 of regulation) and 12 points in four games against Flores. One game won't tell the tale. But suffice to say, it's up to Johnson to make everyone else look good at Halas Hall.

If Colston Loveland and D'Andre Swift (or rookie Kyle Monangai) are productive enough, general manager Ryan Poles won't be taking heat for not getting a dedicated left tackle in the first round or a running back in the second round of the draft.

If Williams takes a giant leap, we'll know for sure who failed him in his rookie season, and Poles won't have to hear about Jayden Daniels being the best quarterback in the 2024 draft class.

And if the Bears respond to a defeat with a victory and avoid the losing streaks/bad stretches that have marked the past four seasons, it'll be another sign that The Ben Johnson Effect is real, and that new day has dawned at Halas Hall.

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