Ben Johnson's Playcalling Deserves Blame for Bears' Loss to Packers
The Chicago Bears got their teeth kicked in on Sunday at Lambeau Field, losing to the Green Bay Packers 31-7. While the Bears' defense didn't play well, Ben Johnson's offensive playcalling also deserves criticism.
Johnson's questionable playcalling was highlighted by one repetitive play that failed to produce the results the Bears needed.
Five Jet Sweeps Raise Questions About Johnson's Game Plan
Chicago ran a fake jet sweep screen pass to Zavion Thomas that gained 11 yards. However, that successful play doesn't change the fact that Johnson's repeated reliance on jet sweeps was a questionable decision.
Johnson called jet sweeps on five different occasions. These plays resulted in gains of one, seven, and 11 yards, one run for no gain, and one loss of two yards. While two of those plays were effective, continuing to call the play despite inconsistent results raises questions about Johnson's playcalling.
Jet sweeps are designed to get speedy playmakers moving toward the edge with the ball in their hands. The Bears have plenty of speedy wide receivers, so the idea itself wasn't bad. However, Green Bay seemed prepared for Chicago's approach whenever the Bears ran the play.
Whatever Johnson saw on tape that led him to believe the Packers would be susceptible to jet sweeps didn't translate into consistent success on Sunday. To be fair, Johnson did design an effective play off the same concept.
Chicago ran a fake jet sweep screen pass to Zavion Thomas that gained 11 yards. However, that successful play doesn't change the fact that Johnson's repeated reliance on jet sweeps was a questionable decision.
Johnson needed to find other ways to attack Green Bay's defense instead of repeatedly returning to the same concept. A jet sweep can be effective when it catches a defense off guard, but the Bears needed more variety to keep the Packers guessing. When an approach isn't consistently working, the coaching staff must find ways to adjust.
Johnson's Playcalling Wasn't the Only Issue
Johnson's poor playcalling wasn't the only issue against the Packers. The Bears' offense wasn't run effectively on Sunday. Tyson Bagent once again struggled and unfortunately proved that he isn't a great backup. While he didn't have three turnovers negated by penalties in Green Bay his play wasn't much better.
Bagent finished the day 12/21 for 87 yards and two interceptions. Last week, his biggest issue undertows and overthrows. This week it looked like he was unable to read a defense. His two interceptions this week were certainly worse than the one he was credited with against the New York Jets.
Case Keenum entered the game in the fourth quarter and didn't play much better. Keenum went 11/19 for 108 yards and threw an interception. Given the Bears virtually had no run game without Kyle Monangai, the quarterback's struggles made sense.
D'Andre Swift had nine carries for 43 yards and a touchdown, while Roschon Johnson had five carries for six yards. Though Swift was effective on the ground, he didn't have an effective partner, and the game script didn't allow the Bears to rely on the run.
The good news for the Bears is that Caleb Williams participated in a roughly 30-minute workout before Sunday's game. Reports indicate Williams is aiming to play next Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons. After a performance like this, his potential return would provide a major boost to Chicago's offense.
However, Williams ' return won't automatically solve every problem. This was Johnson's second disappointing coaching performance of the season, raising questions about his ability to adjust when the Bears' offense struggles.
Chicago's loss to the Minnesota Vikings in Week 2 exposed some issues with Johnson's playcalling and startregy. Sunday's loss to Green Bay showed that Johnson still needs to find better answers.
The Bears cannot afford to keep making the same mistakes if he want to make the playoffs again this season. While Johnson is a mastermind, he still needs to get better at not having inconsistent performances as a head coach.
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