You Must Hear Ben Johnson's Response On His Perfectionist Reputation

There were whispers about Ben Johnson even before he joined the Chicago Bears in January. For all his brilliance as an offensive play caller, his reputation spoke of a coach who was abnormally obsessed with details. Players felt the wrath whenever they made mistakes, even little ones. The term thrown around often was "perfectionist." Months into his tenure as head coach, it is safe to say that reputation was earned. Bears players quickly discovered that Johnson will not even let the smallest infraction slip past.

At last, the question about it came up during his presser before Tuesday's notoriously violent practice. Johnson offered clarity on the idea that he demands perfection. It's not about that. He knows such a thing is an illusion in the NFL.

“It’s not going to be perfect," Johnson said Tuesday. "It’s never going to be perfect. So, I know we want everything to be right in line every single time. But the message to the unit is, 'We’re going to have mess-ups, we’re going to have mistakes.' I think the bad teams, they come on out there and say, ‘Oh, we’re just one off on this play.’ And another guy takes his turn, ‘Oh, we’re one off on this play.’ And it just looks terrible. Where, really, the good teams, when they have mistakes, their buddies cover it up for them.

“If a lineman happened to miss a block, then the back is going to make the guy miss and end up still springing a big run. Or protection breaks down, the quarterback can break the pocket and extend the play and we can still have positive results. That’s where you talk about the perfection part of it, I don’t quite see it that way. I think we need to complement each other better as a unit right now. That’s what we’re learning from."

Johnson understands the fundamental truth of football.

The teams that win are often the ones who make the fewest mistakes. When they do, the guys are prepared and disciplined enough to recognize the dangers and correct them without plays becoming catastrophic. A historic example? Look back at the iconic game against Minnesota in 1985. On one of the pivotal plays of the season, Jim McMahon called a screen pass. The Vikings brought a blitz up the middle, getting a man completely unblocked. Recognizing the danger, Walter Payton abandoned his original responsibility and delivered a crushing block to stonewall the linebacker. This gave McMahon just enough time to fire a touchdown to Willie Gault, sparking an epic comeback victory.

Ben Johnson is teaching his players to master the game.

The less one has to think in the moment, the faster one plays. Philadelphia didn't win the Super Bowl last season because one or two guys were unstoppable. They won because they played flawless complementary football. They didn't make mistakes and exploited every one Kansas City made. When the defense forced a turnover, the offense turned it into points. When the offense couldn't score, the defense got a stop. It was guys operating as a true team, not 22 individuals. That was the problem that haunted the Bears last season and really for the past several years. Ben Johnson aims to change that. Sometimes you have to be harsh with discipline to get the necessary results. Most players don't have the self-motivation required to pursue perfection. It falls on the head coach to point the way.