When the Chicago Bears hired Ben Johnson to be their new head coach, the organization decided to buck the trend. The Bears were hiring a coach which seemingly everybody else wanted. They were hiring a coach who had specific criteria and wasn't going to take just any job.
Johnson wanted this job. Not only did the Bears buck the trend with Johnson, they're also well on their way to bucking another recent trend which has seen them lose over and over again to the Green Bay Packers.
Week 18 of this past season saw the Bears finally break the losing streak by beating Green Bay. Though it was mostly their backup quarterback, Malik Willis under center, the win still felt like a momentum swing.
And, it's not just Bears fans who notice the momentum continuing to rise for Chicago, behind the hiring of Johnson.
Green Bay Packers All Pro safety Xavier McKinney joined Ari Meirov on the latest edition of NFL Spotlight and discussed the vaunted NFC North which now includes four "Super Bowl contending teams," in his words.
Why would a Packers All Pro be putting the Bears into the "Super Bowl contender" category? It's simple.
It's Johnson.
"Ben Johnson just went to the Bears ... I think the Bears are going to have a really good team ... it's going to be tough, but we accept the challenge," McKinney said.
Xavier McKinney should be worried about Ben Johnson's Bears
I'm not saying the Bears are going to be the Lions. But, McKinney is on to something when talking about Johnson's arrival in Chicago.
Let's not forget, Johnson is 6-1 (including the playoffs) against the Packers since becoming their offensive coordinator in 2022. When Johnson took a jab at Matt LaFleur in his opening press conference, he knew exactly what he was doing.
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The Bears care about this rivalry. They want a head coach who cares about beating the Packers. Not only that, but getting one with plenty of experience beating the Packers certainly helps. Johnson has that.
McKinney just finished up his first season in Green Bay, so maybe he doesn't truly know the extent of Johnson having LaFleur's number. But, this interview should bring that fact to light. From his perspective, it should sound an alarm. The Bears now have a head coach who owns the Packers.
Those are the facts.
Now, again, the Bears aren't the Lions. But, it's fair to have high expectations for Johnson in Chicago with all of the hype behind his head coaching candidacy and the work he had done in Detroit. High expectations aren't a bad thing, especially when they're backed up.
Let's hope Johnson's Bears back them up.