Ben Johnson - Offensive Coordinator, bears Event: Press Conference | Date: 2026-09-16 | Full transcript (primary source).
Ben Johnson, Offensive Coordinator for the Bears, addressed the media during a press conference on September 16, 2026, ahead of their upcoming game against a division rival. Johnson discussed the challenges posed by the opposing team's strong performance and emphasized the importance of preparation and execution for his squad.
Transcript
Johnson: Yeah, it'd be nice to be back at soldier field again. I know our guys are really excited about that opportunity. This is a really good team coming in division opponent obviously, but the way that they finished last year and they started this year. They're hot. I think it's six in a row. They're running the ball really well. We know how skillful they are on the perimeter with Jefferson and the crew. You know a quarterback's up in the air right now, but you know regardless of who it is playing for him, you know, it's a darn good offense. Defensively, these guys are they're a handful each and every week. You know, it's one of those things where a lot of time effort energy goes in your preparation over the course of the week and then on game day you really you can't take a play off or else it'll nip you in the butt. So we got to be very mindful of that a lot of looks pressures coverages and then they're very ball-conscious. I think that they do as good a job as anybody forcing fumbles. You can see them doing it all the time and obviously we had one last week. And so we got to get that cleaned up on our end. But big-time opponent coming in but once again, we're looking forward to being at home.
Johnson: How much of that obviously guys got great players over how much of that is just a mentality to understand they know you want to go that way?
Johnson: Well, yeah each week's its own story in that regard how much we do that. But there's certainly times we want to lean into that more than others matchup driven certainly. But yet Jonah and Darnell are two very powerful athletes that you know that I think it's very difficult to Stonewall. And so now we'll have a big test this week. I think Redmond for them I think he's one of the better defensive linemen in this league. He's flying under the radar and yet just seeing his growth over the years, you know, he's a force to be reckoned with and so they got some young bucks inside that'll be very difficult to handle very talented young guys, but you know, Redmond's a guy that we have highlighted. So yeah, we run it right but we like to compliment that as much to the left as we can.
Johnson: And you have a lot of history with Brian Flores. What makes his blitz so effective once they get to neutralizing it?
Johnson: Oh, yeah, it comes from all over the place. He'll hit you in the a gap. He'll hit you from outside the tackles. He likes to bring zero more than any other coordinator in this league and so there's at in any situation normal downs second along third downs red zone. It really doesn't matter. He keeps you on your toes. And so you just as coaches as offensive coaches you take a lot of pride in giving the quarterback and the offensive players answers and solutions to whatever problems could unveil themselves on game day. Well, when you go against a guy like this you got everything. You got everything. So that's where it's a lot and for our players that's they have to really dedicate themselves over the course of the week to have success on game day. And fortunately, I do think that our guys like the way we train them is very demanding and very detailed with teams like this in mind because you got to have a certain level of detail to your play and know what's going on awareness to you I think to give yourself a chance against a scheme like this.
Johnson: You don't. You try to have answers for everything. So yeah, I mean it's he's been in this division three years now and yeah, I mean you'd like to think he's put everything he could possibly do on tape and until you play him next and you realize he hasn't yet. And so there'll be something new. There always is with him and that's what makes him such a good coordinator. It's a great challenge. It really is you have a lot of fun on game day now the week of preparation is not so much fun, but you know, it's there's a lot of back-and-forth that goes into it.
Johnson: I think the play the defense on Sunday beyond the game flow obviously what type of challenge is this next Sunday for you there?
Johnson: Yeah, well, I mean we got a really good opponent coming in town. And so you know, they were running the ball I think at the second highest rate over these last six games that they played. And so that's where it starts for them and on their perimeter. They got some really talented players as well so that's what we're looking to do is it's both on the ground and in the air that they can really make you hurt. So we got a big challenge at hand. We got to respond from a week ago and you know looking our guys eyes was the right look today. So we'll see what the week looks like.
Johnson: When you looked at Caleb's game Sunday if you zoom out a little bit as far as just the decisiveness how much different did that look to you? The quarterback that you were coaching last year?
Johnson: Yeah, I think for the last year and a half he continues to play with more anticipation. He understands what we're trying to get done. You know, obviously our visits over the course of the week once we get into a game week like this they they're very good conversations that we have he asks the right questions. As far as I'm concerned and then I mentioned that the day before the game last week he was regurgitating everything that we had talked about over the course of the week. So you could tell that he was in a really good spot and it gives you a chance on game day. You never know how it's gonna end up necessarily, but I think he played with a lot of confidence and when you when you do that, you're seeing the field really well. He always has done that but the game slows down to a degree and he's able to get to the right guy a little faster than maybe he has in the past and so hopefully that growth continues.
Johnson: I think you might feel like you weren't a great place. We got this do you do you sort of feel like you have to guard against any level?
Johnson: We haven't put up any points this week. But how seriously did you think of going for two on the last score?
Johnson: I said I said other people brought up going for two. And when you evaluate Caleb on the game video what's been unique for you about sometimes having to assess two plays within every pass play you called where there's an initial play and that the extended play?
Johnson: Yeah, I mean he's just like I said before he's seeing the field really well right now. And so he's getting us into the whenever we do have that perfect play mentality. He's getting us into the right play. He's doing a really good job of that and or his training the whole offense. I mean we got all the gadgetry going on with the shifts and the motions and the cadences right now and was really proud with how how the operation has gone down. So we'll continue to see how far we can push that.
Johnson: What does it say about Caleb Travis as a guy's leader?
Johnson: Yeah, I think he recognizes when everyone is doing their job as well. And so we showed in front of the team, you know, it started with Khalif and then Luther and then I started with Luther and then Khalif and then Jaday at the end, you know, it was pretty cool to see that and we need more of it, you know. This is this is one of those weeks where every play has got to have that same strain and effort if we want a chance.
Johnson: Yeah, well, I mean we talked about it and they know that we really believe in it as a coaching staff. They bring it to life and when they see the results come from the things that we're preaching I think it just continues to get the buy-in and the commitment to doing it the way that that we're asking for and of course there's a ton of competition to between the runners the tight ends the receivers and so as a play caller as an offensive staff we are committed to getting the ball to the guys that are doing it right most consistently. And so that also resonates as well.
Johnson: And when you watch that your defensive film was there was there anything to set out to you that was actually encouraging that maybe feel like they'll improve on going into the next game?
Johnson: Well, I mean we did have some three and outs in there. We were playing some pretty good technique. I thought certain guys played really well, but just as a collective we probably didn't have as many winning performances as we need to to play championship level defense.
Johnson: Coach you mentioned you guys are obviously excited to play a soldier field. But how much do you anticipate maybe that whole crowd make it a difference in a game like this?
Johnson: Yeah, we need it and we need it each and every week that we play at home. We're counting on that we talked in the preseason during training camp just how powerful it is to play at soldier and we need to come away with home victories if we want this season to go the way we want it to.
Johnson: When you face someone like where not only is he very accomplished but someone that you have faced so many times? Is there ever a trap to avoid of just overthinking and trying to guess what he thinks you think he thinks you think he thinks you're gonna do?
Johnson: Yeah. Yeah, there is.
Johnson: How do you avoid going down a path where you're just overdoing?
Johnson: I'm in that path right now.
Johnson: No, I mean there's there's a lot of that it man end of the day our guys I want them to go out and play fast. I want to make sure we're sound it's not very different than then what we talked about a week ago making sure we have a hat for a hat as often as we can and if he gets us on something that's fine. Then we got to you know, come together and make sure we get it corrected and we'll move on from there. So that's this game will end up being some adjustments going on over the course of it might be in the tab a little bit more than than I'd like to over the course of a game but that's how these ones have tended to go in the past.
Johnson: Thank you.
