Having already clinched a playoff berth, a couple of weeks before the end of the season, feels pretty good for Chicago Bears fans. Thinking back to this past offseason, it's hard to imagine the Bears would be where they are currently.
But what head coach Ben Johnson has accomplished in his first season is truly remarkable. And, one former NFL MVP knows it to be true. In a recent episode of ESPN's "First Take," Cam Newton had this to say about the Bears:
"If the Chicago Bears can find a way to get a postseason win, we already know that they're playing ahead of schedule. They're really playing with house money."
Playing with house money, indeed, they are. That's maybe the best way to put it, and Newton said it well.
Ben Johnson and the Bears are way ahead of schedule, unless you ask the coach himself
If you remember back during Johnson's initial press conference after being hired, he talked about a mindset of winning and winning now. A lot of Bears fans might have loved to hear something like that, but at the same time, had a hard time believing it.
To think the Bears could come out and have a winning season, right away, seemed far fetched.
Yet, that's precisely what the Bears have done. This Bears team is playoff-bound with a defense that's been mostly porous. Aside from leading the league in takeaways and capitalizing on mistakes by opposing offenses, the Bears' defense has not been good.
To think that this unit needs a whole lot of help on the defensive line, may need a starter in the secondary next year, and has no pass rush whatsoever, yet they're headed to the postseason, is quite impressive. It's a testament not only to Johnson but also to the job Dennis Allen has done, along with defensive backs coach Al Harris.
Chicago has a good amount of work to do in improving this roster, yet they're still a contender.
Yeah, I'd say that qualifies as playing with house money.
As much as it might sting if the Bears end up losing in the playoffs, whether it's the first round or later, fans can still take a step back and marvel at the season this franchise has had.
Read more: Micah Parsons said the quiet part out loud about Bears' defensive woes
First-year head coaches are sometimes significant risks, but Johnson was as close to a sure thing as the Bears could have asked for. He's proven to be the real deal, and the arrow is very clearly pointing up in the Windy City.