Albert Breer Reporting That The Lions OC, Ben Johnson, Wanted The Bears Job Last Off-season
I woke up today, still feeling dead/numb, but probably better than I felt yesterday. Then I saw this. This is the type of news story that lets you know the Bears just don't have the minerals to make the hard decision. The expensive decision. The decisions that are a tad harsh, but are best for the organization. Stick with Eberflus, who has some positive qualities, but clearly isn't a Super Bowl head coach at this point, OR...go after arguably the best coach in football (Harbaugh) OR...steal a division rival's best assistant coach and line him up with a rookie franchise QB. But, nope. Extend Eberflus so he can hire an OC who also has very questionable judgement and play-calling.
I watch the Lions just about every week and it's just because I love their brand of football. They bite knee caps and all that, but they also just play beautiful football. They run down your throat, beat you to the angles, attack you vertically and horizontally and it feels like every single weapon is a threat to score on every drive. I would KILL to have their mindset and their OC genius pulling the strings for Caleb Williams. The Lions wait until they're up 30 to get cute with the gadgets. The Bears run them with the game on the line.
Ben Johnson famously stayed with Detroit out of loyalty to some degree, but maybe he just looked at the options outside of Chicago and decided to wait. That is the hope, right? Maybe Ben Johnson, having coached against Eberflus 4x decided...that job will be open again next year and I will only have to move my family 4 hours to the West. Kick his ass two more times and Caleb Williams will belong to Ben Johnson.
I want to be optimistic. I do genuinely believe that this Bears roster is playoff caliber. I hope they realize that potential. It does seem to me that this group will always have a ceiling with this coaching staff. The Bears are sitting at 4-3 right now. The coaching staff and culture cost them two games. That could make all the difference at the end of the year. I am going to hope for the best. I want them to win every game, but in the back of my head I am just waiting for Ben Johnson. He's the type of coach who can take us to the Super Bowl.
