Imagine you're performing in your high school talent show. You've practiced incessantly to hone your act. Anyone who has seen you perform has had nothing but great things to say about you. You're confident, but even so, nobody in your class can remember the last time someone stepped up to the mic and knocked it out of the park. It's your turn next. Would you rather follow your classmate who forgot the words to his song and left the stage in tears? Or would you rather have the spotlight on you right after the crowd gave the last performer a standing ovation?
Ben Johnson, the new head coach of the Chicago Bears, doesn't have a hard act to follow, because he's succeeding Matt Eberflus, judging by recent reports, acted like George Costanza with the Penske file. That is to say, he spent a lot of time in his office but didn't get anything done.
It's been shocking to find out that Caleb Williams received no guidance from his coaches last year while watching tape. Not because anybody is under the illusion any longer that Eberflus was a good head coach, but because Caleb managed to put together a pretty solid rookie year despite being thrown to the wolves with no help whatsoever. This was a baptism by NFL fire, and despite taking a league-high 68 sacks, Caleb somehow didn't end up burned.
Nicholas Moreano of Bear Goggles On noticed in OTAs this week that Caleb has made a change to the way he receives snaps, and he asked Johnson about it.
Ben Johnson is doing everything to help his quarterback
This might seem like a small thing, but it's huge for a couple of reasons. For one, Caleb is a righty, so having his left foot forward will make it much easier to throw screens and other quick passes since his feet will already be properly set.
Some of his quick throws out wide last year fluttered a bit and weren't accurate, which can be attributed to having to take an extra step after getting the snap. Even more importantly, it's proof that Johnson is actually coaching his quarterback, which sets him apart from Eberflus already.
Caleb was thought to be a generational prospect. That's why he went No. 1 overall, and it's why Bears fans believed that their long nightmare at quarterback was finally coming to an end. It seems like Eberflus thought that meant he could plug Caleb in and let him do all the work, not unlike the slacker in the group project who still expects the same grade as the star student.
Johnson is taking a hands-on approach, which Bears fans should love to see. We already got a close look at how he helped Jared Goff become one of the most productive quarterbacks in the league. If he could do that for Goff, imagine what he could do for a quarterback as talented as Williams.
Ben Johnson looks ready to meet Bears fans' high expectations
According to FanDuel, Johnson is the early favorite to win NFL Coach of the Year at +650. That's ahead of new Patriots coach Mike Vrabel, who is at +850, and at least twice the odds of every other coach in the league. That bullish market is as much a reflection of how highly Johnson is thought of as it is an indictment on Eberflus.
Helping Caleb adjust his stance shows that Johnson isn't content to let the Bears do things the same old way. The status quo hasn't worked in decades for this franchise, so it's time for something new, even if it's something as simple and seemingly inconsequential as switching which foot is forward at the snap.
The tiniest details matter to the best coaches. Johnson is making a great first impression by showing that if he believes there's a better way to do things, he's going to do it. That mindset will trickle down to the rest of his staff, to Caleb, and to the rest of the team.
Even if Johnson was just an average coach, the Bears can make a leap this year because he'd still be a big upgrade over the guy who came before him. If he's as good as he looks, though, then Bears fans better get ready for a show-stopping performance like they haven't seen in a long time.