The Rumors of Coach Johnson’s Intensity May Have Ben Understated

It’s early, but it is already apparent that accountability will not be an issue for Ben Johnson’s Chicago Bears.

Bears head coach Ben Johnson at Wednesday's minicamp session (Nicholas Moreano)

The intense coaching style of new Chicago Bears Head Coach Ben Johnson has been well documented. Former players, and fellow Coaches alike, have spoken about his passion for the game and no-nonsense approach to coaching. Wednesday, inside the Walter Payton Center at Halas Hall, the media got its first opportunity to witness the rookie Head Coach lead a practice with his full roster. That passion and intensity we've been hearing about since before the Bears even hired Ben Johnson was on display.

Coach Johnson said, “It’s Day 2 of install, and we had a little more (mental mistakes), and pre-snap penalties, and the little details kinda fell by the wayside.”

And when those details were missed by the players, Coach Johnson was right there to correct them, sometimes louder than others. During a 7-on-7 period, Cole Kmet either lined up in the wrong spot or didn’t get set quick enough. Either way, Coach Johnson was not going to stand for it. Inside the noisy Walter Payton Center, Johnson yelled at the veteran Tight End before commanding the whole group to get back in the huddle and do it again.

When I asked Coach Johnson about that exchange, albeit one-sided, he said “It’s the way we’re coaching every position right now. We're just communicating that it’s not good enough and we need a little bit better.”

Grady Jarrett, the Bears newly acquired veteran Defensive Tackle, confirmed and supported that intense style that Coach Johnson brings, saying “He’s our leader. So it's the same across the board [Offense and Defense], the standard is the standard. Him, D.A. (Defensive Coordinator Dennis Allen), none of the coaches…they’re not coming off it! It’s our job as players to put our best foot forward each and every day to reach what's expected of us. That could breed excellence. This ain’t a program where you try to be guys’ friend and pat them on the back, in hopes that they will buy in. Players have to get with it. I’ve been around for a long time, and that’s the kind of culture you have to set early. When the expectations are high, that’s what you want.”

During the Chicago Bears search for a new Head Coach this offseason, some people wondered aloud if the hot shot candidate from Detroit, the offensive mastermind and genius play caller, could command the respect of a 53-man roster. Could he hold them accountable? Does the football nerd, with a background in computer science, have the presence to lead an entire football team?

The early returns indicate that the short answer is…Hell Yeah!

Last season there was so much talk from inside Halas Hall about the lack of accountability on the team, specifically as it pertained to coaches not getting on guys for making mistakes. I know it’s early, but it is already apparent that accountability will not be an issue for Ben Johnson’s Chicago Bears.