Chicago Bears fans had long suffered from a lack of a competent head coach prior to the hiring of Ben Johnson. It's early, but Johnson has proven to be anything but fool's gold. The culture shift has been legitimate, and fans are finally seeing an identity forming inside Halas Hall.
Appearing on behalf of Chase for Business, former Bears running back and now author and entrepreneur, Matt Forte, just joined us here at FanSided to talk all things Bears. Of course, I had to come out and ask about Johnson from the jump.
On what's been most impressive from Johnson, Forte said:
"I think what's been most impressive is, for one, his confidence. He's got confidence in himself and his ability to call plays and coach. And that's something that we've been missing."
Matt Forte didn't mince words about previous coaching regimes in comparison to Ben Johnson
The former Bears star went on to talk about something that every single fan can fully agree with, and he had the perfect way of saying it.
"I think there's been a sense of false confidence in the past years, where it's like, 'oh, we're good.' And everything gets swept under the rug without being genuine about it," Forte admitted. "That's the worst thing you can do as a team is have self-deception, and to really think you're something that you're not."
Have there ever been truer words spoken about recent Bears coaches? This is about as clear and concise as it gets. It's the blatant truth. Fans have had to deal with previous coaches who came across as anything but confident.
Past head coaches have wanted to come across as confident, but fans and the Chicago media would see straight through the facade. It was too easy.
Forte knows Johnson is the real deal and commends his confidence, overall, combined with the fact that he simply wants to get the ball into the hands of his playmakers; something that seems far too logical.
"I like his confidence and the ability of the guys they have, and putting them in position to make plays ... putting the ball in the hands of your playmakers is what you want to do."
What we've seen from Johnson, in just a handful of games, has felt like a fun teaser for what's to come. The Rome Odunze breakout is in full effect. Luther Burden III sure looks like a fun weapon. Caleb Williams has a full arsenal.
Read more: Bears icon sends a crystal clear message about the job Ryan Poles has done
And, to top it off, like Forte said, the Bears finally have a coach who is full of confidence and doesn't lack for boldness nor a straightforward demeanor.