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What Ben Johnson Wants to See More of from Tyson Bagent Against Packers

The Chicago Bears backup QB has been given carte blanche in terms of challenging Green Bay but two real obstacles could make this difficult.
Gene Chamberlain|
Tyson Bagent is being urged to be as aggressive as he can by Ben Johnson, despite facing a dangerous pair of Packers safeties.
Tyson Bagent is being urged to be as aggressive as he can by Ben Johnson, despite facing a dangerous pair of Packers safeties. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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Chicago Bears


While the Packers are still worrying about Ben Johnson's comments from last year, they have apparently missed the respect the Bears coach and quarterback Tyson Bagent have been giving them this week.

When you're yapping, it's easy to miss what's being said — even the compliments.

Johnson has been nothing but respectful to the Packers so far this week but beyond that he is especially wary of two players he also identified last year as real problems.

"It's a good team, as we all know," Johnson said of the 2-2 Packers. "Some changes from a year ago, just special teams wise and defensively. More so schematics than personnel per se, but it's a good special teams unit. They're playing really well. They have a lot of big bodies.

"I think they're really well coached. Defensively, a lot of speed. I have a ton of respect for these safeties, nickel, these guys fly around. The guys up front, they're playing really well. Also, new addition in (Packers LB Zaire Franklin) 44 at the Mike linebacker. He's all over the place. Instinctive player, so really good unit and (Packers) (defensive coordinator Jonathan) Gannon does a great job with them. Then, their offense; obviously Jordan Love’s one of the better quarterbacks in this league. He is as accurate as anybody. I think they have got great speed on the outside and they've given us issues in the past. It will be a really big challenge for us on the road.”

Obviously Johnson isn't about to chant "Green Bay (inhales vigorously)" like Bears fans have all offseason. Matt LaFleur hasn't been insulted by Johnson this week in the least, and both of the guys who had the cheese grater hats last year — Caleb Williams and DJ Moore — won't be a part of Sunday's game.

Safeties first

It's the Packers safeties who really concern Johnson, Xavier McKinney and Evan Williams. Ironically enough, it was Williams who was doing some of the yapping in Green Bay, today. It doesn't matter. The Bears still have a job to do and it's avoid the safeties.

"They fly around and they make things muddy back there," Johnson said. "I think they've got a good mix of coverages. (Gannon is) doing a little bit of stuff that they did in Arizona, just in terms of showing a blanket back there and then rotating on the snap and it can be challenging for the quarterbacks.

"We got to be very disciplined and having our eyes in the right spots and our route runners have got to be in the right spots as well, we're coaching up here this week."

McKinney was a second-team All-Pro last year. The Packers didn't have Williams in the first game at Soldier Field last year, won 22-16 on Caleb Williams' bomb to Moore. They did have him in the playoff loss to the Bears, though.

These two players can be particularly troublesome if quarterback Tyson Bagent is to take the advice he received from Johnson after Sunday's win and film review. It was to take his shots. Johnson said he wanted to see Bagent be a little slower to checkdown on some passes and he gave up on chances to make big, deeper throws against the Jets.

“There's a handful of them and I mean when the moments present themselves obviously I've got to take it," Bagent said. "I was a little quick to get to the checkdown but that can't be the case going forward. I've got to be better in that sense, especially going into this week.”

Challenging safeties without fear

Johnson doesn't want his backup QB playing like a backup, which is something any backup QB would want to hear.

"I think that he falls into the to the category of people that I felt rallied behind me," Bagent said. "He said he's giving me the keys and I appreciate that and look to be better going forward.”

One play in particular is eating at Bagent after last week. It was how he missed a potential big gainer.
“Luther Burden over the middle, that was certainly one that really sticks out egregiously, is the one to Luther across in the middle," Bagent said.

It happened in the third quarter.

To avoid being too cautious, Bagent knows it's going to mean attacking those highly respected Packers safeties.

“I think you just have an understanding that they're playing at a high level back there, they've been together for a long time, they communicate really well," Bagent said. "They get everybody on track with what they're doing in the back end and I have a lot of respect for those guys back there and really just have to be clued into each play and understanding that they could make a splash play at any time, just being cautious around those guys.”

Maybe the better word than caution is respectful.

The Bears have been nothing but respectful of the Packers this week.

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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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