There's a lot more to being a head coach than just the Xs and Os in the game. A lot goes into being a leader and being able to communicate with the players on the team.
It may only be three games, but Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson has learned this lesson quickly since taking over the job earlier in the year. Johnson has done a ton of work when it comes to changing the culture and mindset of the players in ways they haven't had in Chicago over the last three years under Matt Eberflus.
All that work seemed to have come together in Week 3 after the Bears beat down the Dallas Cowboys in convincing fashion. A big reason for that? Caleb Williams' superb performance.
Johnson deserves a ton of credit for the work he has done with Williams, as there were some initial bumps and bruises. It began with tough coaching and breaking bad habits before Williams reached his current level.
Johnson explains how they got there in the last three weeks
During Johnson's press conference, he was asked about coaching Williams. Johnson offered plenty to explain that there's so much that goes into coaching a player like Williams and the team.
"That’s coaching in general," Johnson said via The Athletic's Dan Wiederer. "We’re not called to be here to be friends or cheerleaders. We’re here to push, to challenge, to support. There are a number of things the best coaches in my life have really imprinted on me. And whether I was a player or a fellow coach, I really think that’s important."
"It’s not what the player wants to hear all the time. Sometimes it’s what he needs to hear for us as a team to succeed and for him as an individual to get a little bit better. And you can’t shy away from that."
"I try the best I can to emulate the good ones I’ve been around. And I think that’s probably where I’ve seen some downfalls of certain coaches -- they have been afraid of conflict and telling a player how he sees it. I learned over the last few years that when there’s silence, there’s usually negativity [that] fills that void and breeds some resentment either way in a relationship. So if you feel a certain type of way – doesn’t matter if you’re the player or the coach – you need to bring that out and make sure we’re all on the same page."
"We all have the same goal at the end of the day. But I’ve seen some relationships go sideways just because the communication aspect wasn’t right."
Read more: Ben Johnson praised Bears' position group that hasn't heard it in years
The Bears roll into Las Vegas on Sunday to take on the Raiders, and Johnson will need to bring all that wealth of knowledge into a must-win game for his 1-2 team.