Frequently Asked Questions
Why did the Chicago Bears struggle so much offensively at the start of the 2025 season?
The Bears opened 2025 with an 0-2 record and continued to sputter before the bye week, dealing with too many penalties, a nonexistent running game, and Caleb Williams failing to play in rhythm. A major hidden culprit was the length of play calls, some running as long as ten words, which caused miscommunications and mental scrambling among players.
How did Ben Johnson fix the Bears' play-calling problem?
Johnson and his staff condensed their lengthy play calls into single load-bearing keywords, a system sometimes called one-wording. Each week they would replace up to ten full play calls with one-word codes that still allowed for motions, shifts, and alignment adjustments.
Where did Ben Johnson get the idea for one-word play calls?
Johnson, offensive coordinator Declan Doyle, and their staff came from wordy play-calling backgrounds, so they leaned heavily on the Bears' younger players for help. Many of the rookies had run codeword-style offenses in college, where one-word tempo calls are far more common, and they contributed ideas for clever mnemonics.
Did the one-word play-call system actually work for the Bears?
Yes, the offense found more and more momentum as the 2025 season progressed. The running game became a force behind D'Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai, and Caleb Williams grew increasingly confident and cerebral as the year went on.
What makes Ben Johnson different from most NFL head coaches?
Johnson's greatest strength is his pragmatism — he is not rigidly married to one system or method and is willing to do whatever it takes to get results. While many coaches reach the top doing things a certain way and refuse to deviate, Johnson constantly looks for new ways to evolve, which the article argues is rare in the NFL.
Erik Lambert
I’m a football writer with more than 15 years covering the Chicago Bears. I hold a master’s degree in the Teaching of Writing from Columbia College Chicago, and my work on Sports Mockery has earned more than twenty million views. I focus on providing analysis, context, and reporting on Bears strategy, roster decisions, and team developments, and I’ve shared insight on 670 The Score, ESPN 1000, and football podcasts in the U.S. and Europe.
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