Every Chicago Bears fan has noticed a significant difference in the team this year compared to the 2024 squad, but the key difference comes from their head coach, Ben Johnson.
The Bears are off to an impressive 5-3 record and have won five of the last six games as they are in the thick of the postseason run. Johnson has done a phenomenal job of bringing in the right pieces on the team to build what has become a strong culture within the team.
While speaking to the media, Johnson mentioned that he has noticed this as well in his team. In the process, he might have just taken a shot at his old team, the Detroit Lions, without even realizing it.
"We have a really strong locker room. Normally you have some bad apples in there and we don't."
Bears building a strong culture that could put Detroit to shame
One thing the Lions have done an excellent job of is establishing a strong culture, with Dan Campbell leading the way. One thing about Detroit, though, is that they haven't been able to reach the big game.
Johnson learned some of those hard lessons as the offensive coordinator over the last few years and has built himself a strong enough culture to work with. This doesn't mean by any means that the Bears are in a perfect spot. Fans know better than that.
Chicago is struggling to find consistency with the cornerbacks and even their own quarterback, Caleb Williams. One thing about this Bears team that's different from last year, though, is that they are resilient and know what it takes to win in the fourth quarter.
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There's still a lot this young team has to work out, but they are on the right path of being successful because of the incredible job Johnson has done in constructing the roster and the culture.