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The Huge Improvement Ben Johnson Saw from a 'Static' Bears Offense

One area particularly excited Chicago's head coach in the 34-10 win over Cleveland to open preseason, after it had been less scintillating throughout camp.
Gene Chamberlain|
Salvon Ahmed takes off after catching a screen pass in the potent, but simplistic Bears offense Saturday.
Salvon Ahmed takes off after catching a screen pass in the potent, but simplistic Bears offense Saturday. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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Chicago Bears


A staple of the Bears offense under Ben Johnson is the screen game, and for much of training camp he hadn't been pleased with how it shaped up.

When they faced the Browns in the preseason opener it was the screen game that came to the forefront in Saturday's 34-10 victory. Salvon Ahmed broke one 49 yards for a touchdown 1:55 into the second half and the Bears executed a series of similar type passes to backs and wide receivers or tight ends.

For Johnson, it was finally a case of everything coming together.

"We've been harping on those details," Johnson said. "We've got specific landmarks. We drill them every single day. I think our defense has done a really good job throughout the week of practice to make those (screens) hard for us (to execute). So we've had a lot of very difficult looks. Some of our worst plays in practice over the last couple of weeks have been our screens.

"I just think it's a really good job up front of executing, the timing, the rhythm. We always talk about those screen runners, when they get the ball in their hands we try to get vertical for a few steps and then it turns into a punt return after that. And that certainly was what that one looked like as he was taking that across the field."

It was a matter of Case Keenum starting the second half relieving Tyson Bagent, then making a perfect flip after pulling the defense away from Ahmed. Then Ahmed made a sharp downfield cut behind downfield blocking by speedy receiver Kaden Davis.

"Good to see those guys blocking down the field, a guy like Kaden Davis who really is trying to run coverage away from the screen ends up making a key block and it's good to see things like that," Johnson added.

Keenum enjoyed how much it padded his yards, as he finished 9 of 10 for 151 yards and later threw another touchdown pass of 6 yards to running back Brittain Brown.

"I told the QB room those count all as passing yards," Keenum said. "He did all the work. I just managed to get it up and over and those guys did a great job of blocking downfield and man, those cutbacks crosscourt, when you have a guy like that with speed and eyes and vision for that, we worked screens all the time. It showed on that play and a couple other ones too. I was excited to see those guys get in space like that."

Ahmed finished with three catches for 55 yards. Davis did more than just block. He had a team-high four receptions for 88 yards. His 41-yarder set up the first Bears TD on a 25-yarder from Tyson Bagent to Maurice Alexander. The blocking by Davis was so impressive it also had Bagent talking about it afterward.

"That's kind of just who he is in the receiver room," Bagent said. "As far as I'm concerned its no block no rock. So if you're not throwing your hat and getting your face a little bit dirty on the run plays or the screens for that matter they're going to be less inclined to get you the ball.B

"So that's just who he is, being who he is, when he's supposed to be there and playing his heart out for the man beside him, which really was the message going into this game."

The problem with the screen game is it is a counter move. The Bears needed it to counter the pass rush they were absorbing in the first half. Johnson even commented how he wasn't happy with the amount of heat Bagent and the running backs were getting in the first half. They're going to need to more solid in the future, but the first team offensive line didn't play Saturday.

Overall, Johnson couldn't be to displeased with 34-10, especially with the passing game whether it went downfield or eventually got there in the hands of a receiver who caught it very close to the line of scrimmage. They targeted 11 receivers at least twice and averaged a ridiculous 9.0 yards per attempt and 8.3 counting their sacks despite playing a simplistic version of their attack.

"There's a lot of confidence right now with where we are, where we're heading and what we can potentially become as we keep going here through this thing," he said. "I love the fact that we take all the bells and whistles off today and we're more static, not a whole lot of motions and all that, and these guys can just cut it loose and play fast.

"I thought their play speed showed up today."

It's very easy to wonder what they could look like when they put the bells and whistles into it, and the starters.

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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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