I fully expect Ben Johnson to be deep in his bag this week.
Days after the Bears put together a bland and unimagintive game plan in their regular-season finale against the Detroit Lions, Chicago’s football team received good news from the injury report with wide receivers Rome Odunze and DJ Moore (as well as starting left tackle Ozzy Trapilo) garnering full participation status with no game day designation for Saturday’s upcoming playoff game against the Green Bay Packers. So, the way I see it, Ben Johnson will have a fully armed and operational battle station offense when his squad takes the field.
So … what tricks could the first-year Bears head coach have up his sleeve? Let’s discuss…
Chicago Bears Head Coach Ben Johnson. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn ImagesWhat Will Ben Johnson’s Offense Do in the Playoffs?
Ben Johnson will have everything at his disposal this week. So let’s toss around some ideas and suggestions for what his offense will look like in its playoff debut with the Bears.
START QUICKLY AND RUN THE DANG BALL! (PLEASE)
Before Bears Head Coach Ben Johnson gets too deep in his bag, he needs to figure out how his team can avoid a slow start. Don’t get me wrong. I have thoroughly enjoyed watching Chicago’s football team hit the comeback trail throughout the year. That this team claws its way back into games when previous iterations of this squad would have folded with the swiftness is something I hope to always remember. But with that being said, it would be nice to not need a heroic late-game comeback. I’m not sure how much my heart can take.
Clay Harbor does a good job highlighting some of the things that contributed to the team’s sluggish start against the Lions in Week 18:
If you are curious to why the Bears started slow here you go. These are plays from the 1st 19 snaps. Defensive looks weren’t hard and it’s never one player but a lot of mental errors poor dbl team technique RB reads that added up. Very fixable. #DaBears #Bears #ChicagoBears pic.twitter.com/39qIio1pIY
— Clay Harbor (@clayharbs82) January 6, 2026There are a handful of ways to get Ben Johnson’s Bears offense going early in ball games. For instance, they could start with establishing dominance in the trenches by running the ball.
Rookie running back Kyle Monangai averages 4.8 yards per carry on his 89 first-down runs this season and 4.7 yards per attempt on 42 first-quarter carries. Backfield tag team partner D’Andre Swift is averaging 5.0 yards per carry on his 110 first-down rush attemps this season. And on his 61 first-quarter attempts, Swift is averaging 4.4 yards per run. Monangai and Swift combined for 228 rushing yards on 49 carries (which comes out to 4.7 yards per attempt) in the first two games against the Packers. Considering that the Bears rank fifth in rushing attempts, third in yards per carry, and ninthin ground scores, I expect more of the same going into this playoff game.
Kyle Monangai breaks a tackle at Lambeau Field. | Tork Mason/USA TODAY NETWORK-WisconsinGET THE ROOKIES GOING EARLY
The Chicago Bears offense averages 6.0 first-quarter points per game this season. That number is the sixth-highest scoring average in the opening period among NFL teams. It is also worth underscoring that unit has averaged 6.5 first-quarter points per game at home this year, which also ranks as the sixth best. So it’s not as if we haven’t seen the offense get going early. With that in mind, I think one key toward unlocking the offense early would be to get rookie pass catchers Luther Burden III and Colston Loveland some touches at the outset of the game.
THE PACKERS WILL PROVIDE A DIFFERENT TYPE OF TEST FOR THE BEARS
Of course, this is easier said than done. Ben Johnson’s Bears offense has a lot of mouths to feed. For what it’s worth, quarterback Caleb Williams has done a tremendous job spreading the wealth. Chicago’s offense had seven players catch at least 30 passes this season. It also had four players rack up 600+ receiving yards. Seven players caught at least two touchdowns, with three (Colston Loveland, DJ Moore, Rome Odunze) snagging at least six scores apiece. Given that information, I hope that you can understand why it might be difficult to try to force feed someone early in the ballgame.
CHECK OUT EPISODE NO. 16 OF THE BN BEARS PODCAST: Apple | Spotify | YouTube
Be that as it may, it would make me feel good about the Bears’ chances this week if I saw Luther Burden III and/or Colston Loveland get touches in the early going. Burden is absolutely electric with the ball. So whether it is with a screen pass, a deep shot down the sideline, an end around, or something else, I want to see Ben Johnson get Burden get a ball ASAP. Frankly, I can say the same about Loveland, who is coming off a strong showing against the Lions that earned him Pro Football Focus’ best grade among Bears players in Week 18 and the NFL’s Rookie of the Week honors.
LET’S GET TRICKY
In the eyes of many football fans, Ben Johnson rose to prominence behind the strength of a creative offensive playbook that was highlighted by trick plays. The reality is that Johnson’s offense is rooted in strong offensive line play and fueled by a downhill ground-and-pound attack that opens up the passing game and allows for some trickeration along the way. It makes for a layered and complex scheme that is fun to watch on a weekly basis. And while we did not see any gadgetry in Chicago’s Week 18 loss against Detroit, there is a part of me that is waiting for things to get weird against Green Bay — and in the best way possible.
If the Bears offense gets deep in the red zone on Saturday, I expect some iteration of this formation (and play) to show up on the Soldier Field surface:
.@CALEBcsw ➡️ @colstonlovelan1 TOUCHDOWN ??: FOX | #ProBowlVote pic.twitter.com/Mw8gNt93Ka
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) December 7, 2025MORE: Ben Johnson Was Peeved About the Bears’ Offensive Performance in Week 18
Yes, that play went for a touchdown. But if you’ll recall, Ben Johnson was miffed about Theo Benedet getting cut by a defender (it went uncalled, so I’d be ticked about it, too) because the reserve offensive lineman was the primary read on that play. It would not surprise me in the slightest to see Johnson run it back with this play. Perhaps we will even get a big boy touchdown out of it. So long as it happens in a win. After all, that is the only thing that matters this week.
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