Ben Johnson’s impact already being felt inside the Chicago Bears locker room

The “Ben Johnson effect” is already taking hold inside the Chicago Bears locker room.

Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

The impact that Ben Johnson has made on the Chicago Bears in the first eight games of his tenure has been bigger than even the most diehard Bears fan could've imagined.

The week-over-week improvement in quarterback Caleb Williams is obvious.

The uptick in offensive production and points scored are fun to watch.

The creative play-calling and energized sideline is euphoric.

And the Bears have a winning record -- 5-3 -- entering the second half of his first season on the job.

Needless to say, Johnson has been as good as advertised. But his impact on this franchise goes way beyond what fans see on the field and in the standings. It's about the culture he's developing inside Halas Hall, which he touched on during Wednesday's media session.

Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

"I can’t say enough good things about our locker room," Johnson said. "We really have zero issues with discipline or anything of that nature. These guys just want to come out and play ball, win games, and be there for their teammates. Usually, you’ve got some bad apples in there, but we really don’t."

Johnson loves his players, and they're responding.

"Having someone like that in your corner, it builds energy every single day to come in here and find ways to get better and try to lead these guys to victory," Caleb Williams said of his coach.

This is new territory for Bears fans who've struggled through years of Matt Eberflus and Matt Nagy and John Fox. The last time Chicago had a coach who was adored this much by his players was the prime Lovie Smith years. It was a big reason why Smith had so much success, including a Super Bowl berth.

It's way too early to say whether Ben Johnson's system will result in another Super Bowl trip for the Chicago Bears, but, for now, it's trending in the right direction.

The Chicago Bears enter Week 10 ranked sixth in points per game, 10th in passing yards per game, and second in rushing yards per game. Once the defense catches up to what Johnson is establishing on offense, who knows. Maybe the Bears finally have the leadership in place to compete for a Lombardi Trophy sooner than later.

More Chicago Bears News

• Why long Bears injury report is far less severe than it appears

• Bears GM explains his decision not to go hog wild with a big trade

• Darnell Wright and Bears' rising offensive line facing real challenge

• How Ben Johnson's Bears offense compares to his Lions offense for first-year success