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The Chicago Bears have come a long way in just one year under head coach Ben Johnson, whether it's going from worst to first in the NFC North, recording a winning record or winning a playoff game.
But there's also been a noticeable shift in the direction of the team at this point in the offseason compared to Johnson's first offseason. That's certainly been noticeable during the first week of OTAs, where it's a much smoother operation and expectations are clear for returning veterans and newcomers alike.
“It's everything. It's the entire team," Johnson said. "Everyone knows what the expectations are in the building, what meetings look like. We talked about that. Meetings, walkthrough, practice. It's noticeable to me just day one of OTAs. The guys that were here last year versus the new guys to the program, whether they're rookies or free agents, there's just a different level of – I don't want to say comfort, but they know what it's supposed to look like."
At this time last season, the offense and defense were learning new schemes and getting acclimated to Johnson and defensive coordinator Dennis Allen. Now, with a full year under their belts, a good portion of the offense and defense are in a position where they can pick up where they left off.
"We can hit the ground running a little bit from an offensive perspective," Johnson said. "You certainly see a lot of guys picking up where they left off. I know our quarterback room is at a different place than it was a year ago. Our route runners certainly feel that way from how we do routes on air to what it looks like in a team setting. O-line, those coaches do a phenomenal job with those guys, same thing there. You see that guys aren't thinking quite as much. They're able to play faster.
"Defensively, you see the same thing going on. I feel strongly about how we're coaching them. We went back to the fundamentals on all three levels of our defense and that showed up yesterday. We're off to a good start. We'll see what the rest of the way looks like.”
The Bears will be looking to replicate their success from last season, but it won't be easy in a tough division and with the most difficult strength of schedule. But with Johnson leading the charge, and another year of experience under their belts, the expectation is Chicago will once again be competing for a playoff spot.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears HC Ben Johnson explains biggest difference this offseason
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But there's also been a noticeable shift in the direction of the team at this point in the offseason compared to Johnson's first offseason. That's certainly been noticeable during the first week of OTAs, where it's a much smoother operation and expectations are clear for returning veterans and newcomers alike.
“It's everything. It's the entire team," Johnson said. "Everyone knows what the expectations are in the building, what meetings look like. We talked about that. Meetings, walkthrough, practice. It's noticeable to me just day one of OTAs. The guys that were here last year versus the new guys to the program, whether they're rookies or free agents, there's just a different level of – I don't want to say comfort, but they know what it's supposed to look like."
At this time last season, the offense and defense were learning new schemes and getting acclimated to Johnson and defensive coordinator Dennis Allen. Now, with a full year under their belts, a good portion of the offense and defense are in a position where they can pick up where they left off.
"We can hit the ground running a little bit from an offensive perspective," Johnson said. "You certainly see a lot of guys picking up where they left off. I know our quarterback room is at a different place than it was a year ago. Our route runners certainly feel that way from how we do routes on air to what it looks like in a team setting. O-line, those coaches do a phenomenal job with those guys, same thing there. You see that guys aren't thinking quite as much. They're able to play faster.
"Defensively, you see the same thing going on. I feel strongly about how we're coaching them. We went back to the fundamentals on all three levels of our defense and that showed up yesterday. We're off to a good start. We'll see what the rest of the way looks like.”
The Bears will be looking to replicate their success from last season, but it won't be easy in a tough division and with the most difficult strength of schedule. But with Johnson leading the charge, and another year of experience under their belts, the expectation is Chicago will once again be competing for a playoff spot.
Follow Bears Wire on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears HC Ben Johnson explains biggest difference this offseason
Continue reading...
