The Chicago Bears' head coach took to the podium to address the media prior to the Bears' playoff matchup against the Los Angeles Rams. Respect has been a touchy topic as of late, following the Bears' outstanding comeback against the Green Bay Packers.
With the Bears taking home the win in the first round, Chicago is set to welcome the Rams into Soldier Field for a Divisional Round, where the victor advances to the conference championship. This will be the Bears' most important game in almost 20 years. Johnson was asked directly about Rams' head coach Sean McVay and where he stands in the current coaching environment.
“There’s no question about it. He is on the upper echelon. He does a phenomenal job. He has ever since he got to LA. All of his teams are really well prepared.”
Measured Praise
Ben Johnson is a professional. He is a man used to having the podium, used to being put on the spot. When asked about McVay, he delivered yet more excellence. He avoided speaking in specifics, placed McVay in the higher tier of coaches without ever mentioning names, and cited performance rather than opinion. That's a gold star answer. These are two coaches who understand that competition can coexist with respect.
McVay has had a significant impact not only on the Rams but also on the NFL as a whole. When McVay was hired as the head coach of the Rams in 2017, he made history as the youngest head coach in the modern NFL era at age 30. That's astonishingly young for a head coach, but it's become obvious the Rams knew what they were doing.
“Once you get to round two, round three, you know there are no weak links. I got nothing but respect for the opponent that we’re gonna play this upcoming week, cause they are damn good.”
Johnson understands the mission. There's almost never any reading between the lines with him; he's praised as a straight shooter. McVay's reputation precedes him, and Johnson is wise to acknowledge that. Outside of McVay's playcalling, there's also Matt Stafford and an excellent offensive team to deal with. With Stafford playing MVP-caliber ball this season, the Bears are going to need to strive for greatness, particularly on defense.
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Johnson's comments never drift into bulletin board material. Instead, they reinforce a simple truth about January football. The Bears are facing a legitimate opponent, and the margin for error is razor-thin. If the Bears can remain hot in January, they'll be well on their way to earning a return to the NFC conference game.