Rams' Sean McVay Shares First Thoughts on Bears' Ben Johnson

WOODLAND HILLS, Ca. The football gods have once again graced the people with a must-watch matchup as the Los Angeles Rams, led by nine-year offensive guru Sean McVay, takes on the Chicago Bears and rookie head coach Ben Johnson.

Johnson, another offensive mastermind, has turned the Bears around in year one, securing a playoff win over former Rams assistant Matt LaFleur, setting up what should be another instant classic in January.

McVay on Johnson

On Monday, McVay was asked about Johnson, with the Rams head coach complementing Johnson's overall approach to the game, especially his vision for team construction.

“I think he does a great job," stated McVay. "I've studied him really closely from when he took over and started doing it in Detroit. I think the guys that do the best job are the ones that you can see there's a true understanding of what defenses are doing and an intent to try to be able to manipulate a lot of the rules and the coaching points and to really try to attack your front mechanics, your coverage contours, understand some of the percentages of what you're doing situationally, and then being able to maximize his player skill sets."

Jan 4, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay stands on the sidelines against the Arizona Cardinals during the first half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

"You could see there's a philosophy and core beliefs in terms of how he wants to build it. You look at the four free agents they signed, you look at the guys that they drafted high up, taking the tight end and in a lot of the instances where he was able to take advantage of [Sam] LaPorta in Detroit. I think what shows his flexibility is the ability to have one of the best offenses with a player like Jared [Goff] who's really special and then being able to have some similar foundational principles with [Bears’ Quarterback] Caleb [Williams], but also be able to accentuate the things that make him really unique with the athleticism, the ability to move the spot and then take advantage of their skill around it. He does a damn good job."

Nov 28, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni speaks with Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson after the game at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

"I think he's got a timely feel for wanting to be able to mix in some things like he did with the screen and go that allowed them to take the lead the other day. We're excited about these challenges. This is what it's about. Here we go.”

There is already a long-standing rivalry between Johnson and LaFleur, and with McVay calling LaFleur one of his closest friends, expect both men to be at their best come game time.

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