Ben Johnson certainly isn't screwing around as he wants his Chicago Bears ready for the next five weeks.
The Bears are limping into the playoffs after losing three of their five games, but they still won the NFC North and will be the second seed in the NFC. They are set to play their division rivals, the Green Bay Packers, for the third time this season after the two teams split the regular season series.
Reporters had a chance to speak with rookie standout Colston Loveland about the Bears' preparation for the playoffs. Loveland shared Johsnon's message to the team before they started getting ready for the Packers in the Wild Card.
"(Ben Johnson) said if you’re not prepared to play the next five weeks, you’re thinking about anything else, you’re thinking about booking flights for vacation, don’t come in," Loveland said via 670 The Score's Chris Emma. "He made it very clear about what’s at stake and what this team is looking for."
Ben Johnson is zoned in on beating the Packers and winning the Super Bowl
While most Chicago Bears players don't have quite the postseason experience, Johnson has been here and seen his heart broken too many times. Over the last two years, as the Detroit Lions' offensive coordinator, Johnson has led a top-notch offense into the playoffs and twice fell short, with the 2023 season being the most painful after losing to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship game.
All season, Johnson has brought that tough mentality to the team, keeping the Bears razor-focused on getting the wins when needed. This is all part of the shift in culture that Johnson had to bring when he took over for Matt Eberflus, who did not win very often with this team.
The Bears are feeling the pressure to step up and play well, especially in a city where championships have been hard to come by over the past two-plus decades. This franchise hasn't won a Super Bowl since the 80's and haven't won a playoff game since 2010, so they know that the city is leaning on them to step up and finall get a win for them.
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It may be a tough message from Johnson, but it is one the team needed to hear, as they are so close to winning a Super Bowl. Bears fans will have to wait and see whether the team responds appropriately.