The Ben Johnson Blueprint: How the Bears Mastered a Key Offensive Weapon to Stun the League

While the Chicago Bears' 2023 season presented its fair share of challenges and growing pains, one shining beacon of offensive ingenuity emerged, placing them among the NFL's elite: their masterful utilization of play-action passing. The architect behind this unexpected prowess? None other than Ben Johnson, whose influence appears to have woven a thread of brilliance into the Bears' offensive fabric, propelling them to an astonishing second-place ranking in this crucial category.

Despite overall offensive struggles that saw quarterbacks battle inconsistency, the play-action game became a secret weapon.

When the Bears' signal-callers faked the handoff, the results were nothing short of spectacular. Across the season, Bears quarterbacks combined for an impressive 1,123 yards, threw 10 touchdowns, and, remarkably, zero interceptions on play-action passes. Their completion percentage soared to 72.8%, culminating in a stellar 122.0 passer rating.

These aren't just good numbers; they represent an offensive strategy executed with near perfection, a stark contrast to their conventional passing game.

To put this into perspective, only one quarterback in the entire NFL boasted a higher individual passer rating on play-action than the collective Bears' effort: the Houston Texans' rookie sensation C.J.

Stroud, with an astronomical 122.9. This places the Bears' offensive design and execution in an incredibly elite tier, demonstrating an uncanny ability to exploit defensive tendencies and create big plays when the situation called for it.

The difference between the Bears' play-action and non-play-action passing was dramatic, highlighting just how effective this specific scheme was.

Without the benefit of a run fake, Bears quarterbacks completed a more pedestrian 60.1% of their passes, averaging 6.0 yards per attempt. While they still threw 10 touchdowns, this was unfortunately balanced by 10 interceptions, resulting in a significantly lower 76.5 passer rating. This stark disparity underscores the strategic advantage gained through effective play-action design, allowing the offense to operate at a far higher level.

This statistical anomaly points directly to the kind of sophisticated offensive mind that Ben Johnson possesses.

His ability to design plays that consistently put quarterbacks in advantageous positions, even with varying personnel, is a testament to his tactical acumen. It’s no wonder he has been a highly sought-after commodity in head coaching circles. His fingerprints, whether directly or indirectly, are clearly visible in the data, showcasing an impact that transcended the team's overall win-loss record.

For the Bears, understanding and replicating this success in play-action will be paramount as they look to build a more consistent and explosive offense.

It provides a clear blueprint for what works and where to focus their developmental efforts. The legacy of Johnson's influence, however it manifested, offers a compelling case study in maximizing offensive efficiency, proving that even amidst challenges, strategic brilliance can carve out pockets of exceptional performance.