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Bears OTAs Reveal Ben Johnson's Offense Is Finally Starting to Click

The Bears offense looks far crisper at OTAs, with Caleb Williams hitting receivers in stride and Ben Johnson's Year 2 system taking shape in Chicago.
Gene Chamberlain|
The Bears offense runs through plays during the start of OTAs on Wednesday at Halas Hall.
The Bears offense runs through plays during the start of OTAs on Wednesday at Halas Hall. | Chicago Bears On SI Photo: Gene Chamberlain

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Chicago Bears


LAKE FOREST, Ill. — Sharper passes to receivers in stride continue at Bears OTAS. It's noticeable to reporters on the sidelines who watched last year's install and wondered why no one seemed to be open.

At Wednesday's practice, short-to-middle range darts to Kalif Raymond, Luther Burden III, Scotty Miller, and Maurice Alexander broke for bigger gains and replaced some of the deeper throws Caleb Williams completed in the previous week's practice available to media. At the outset of last year, a well-timed throw over the middle sometimes didn't occur for a few practices at a time. It's common now.

How much of this is role reversal remains to be seen. Last year a new offense with new coaches tried to find its timing but this year it's a new secondary with Dillon Thieneman and Coby Bryant playing safety instead of veterans Jaquan Brisker and Kevin Byard. So, is the offense simply taking advantage of a bit of confusion on the part of an adjusting secondary or has the offense taken the next step up in coach Ben Johnson's master plan? It's difficult to say at this point in non-contact work but is encouraging.

The secondary took notice of how the receivers keep finding ways to be open when the ball arrives, and the ball gets there in the right place for yards after catch.

“They’re all rolling, they’re all fast and they’re all coming down with some catches Caleb is throwing," cornerback Tyrique Stevenson said. "Even if it’s across the middle, they have strong hands. They can run any route in the route tree pretty much, and I think that's (working against them) getting us better as a secondary.”

The passing game has a challenge and it's getting receivers open who were considered underlings to DJ Moore in the past. He's in Buffalo now and the young receivers are jumping at their chance to take up targets Moore used to get.

Stevenson called this the most talented group of receivers he's gone up against, and that includes when the first three were DJ Moore, Keenan Allen, and Rome Odunze.

“I would say, but my rookie year DJ gave me a run for my money every practice," Stevenson said. "But I would say the group as a whole, yes (is better).”

Wide receiver Rome Odunze made a similar assessment in different words.

“I think it's the room as a collective," he said of how they're better at receiver. "When I came in it was Keenan and DJ, it was the collective. When I came in and Keenan left and Luther came in, it was DJ three of us, it was the collective.

"Now that DJ's gone, it's the collective group. For me, I just want to be the best receiver possible for this team. I feel like I provide many assets to do that. I'm comfortable with a lot of the target share as well as the other guys getting involved, so we can be the best offense possible.”

Having Raymond and Miller involved helps supply some of the veteran mindset they always had with Moore in the receiver room. The younger receivers listen to them even if both just got to Chicago.

"Just trying to take anything I can from those guys. Whether it comes to routes and shifting," Odunze said. "They're a little bit smaller than me, so we have a different stride -– but Kalif’s got a crazy stride. There're things I can take from them, they're vets in the room, so those are my guys. I'm definitely looking to learn a few things.”

So as the passes keep getting completed in stride, it looks more like the offense Johnson intended instead of Williams panicking with no one open, then hitting someone on the run. It's fun for the Bears when that happens but in the long run their attack is better off looking this way.

Johnson has stressed all along how important this year is because coaches are actually teaching fundamentals of receiving and of the offense instead of installing foreign concepts all of the time the way they did last year. This applies on both sides of the ball, but it's apparent on offense now the most when there is no hitting.

“I feel really good about where we're at right now," Johnson said. "It was certainly a maturation process for myself as well. We took a lot of time this springtime looking at how last year went from a schedule standpoint to situations that arose in games to just a holistic view of how we can get a little bit better. We're introducing some of that to our players right now."

It's pervasive throughout the offense. They did have an illegal procedure call against the first-team offense again on Wednesday, and the two-minute drive bogged down short of field goal range with the first team. Overall, though, the ball is moving.

“I said this the other day, like the first week out, just breaking the huddle, it was clean, crisp cadence, everything," guard Jonah Jackson said. "Guys are comfortable with what we're doing, and the scheme and understanding of things is there. The flow of practice has been much easier.”

OTAs highs and lows

  • Progress: Thieneman got worked into the first-team group at times throughout practice, although veteran backup Elijah Hicks remained in that role part of the time.
  • Lining up: D'Marco Jackson practiced with the starters in T.J. Edwards' spot as Edwards heals from a broken leg. Jackson had been at practice in the first open session but wasn't on the field during team drills except in special teams. Jack Sanborn had been at Edwards' spot the previous week but moved in with backups or played at strongside linebacker when the starters were in base defense.
  • Comebacks: Defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo got onto the field for stretching and individual work but isn't taking part in team non-contact scrimmaging as he recovers from an Achilles injury. Cornerback Terell Smith also was also on the field as he comes back from an ACL tear last training camp. He wasn't involved the previous week, although he has been at OTAs. Edwards got on the field during individual work for the first time, as well.
  • Still no sign: Montez Sweat and Cam Lewis are not yet involved but next week is mandatory minicamp and the full roster is required to be there. Kyler Gordon wasn't involved after he had been on the field last week during stretching and some individual work.
  • Best hit, oops: Nephi Sewell, brother of Noah and Penei Sewell, had the best hit so far as he knocked rookie tight end Sam Roush to the ground after a catch in 7-on-7. It's non-contact, though, and they don't want bodies on the ground.
  • Happy ending: Although the first-team two-minute drill ended without points, Tyson Bagent directed the second team into field goal range and Gabriel Plascencia managed to put a field goal through the uprights on a kick that seemed to move inside, outside and then inside the uprights like a putt on a green with a double break.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.

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