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The Chicago Bears decided they were not going to waste any time after the Detroit Lions got kicked out of the playoffs by the Washington Commanders. On Monday night, the Bears named former Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson the 18th full-time head coach in the franchise's 106-year history.
The Bears finally have some direction now after firing Matt Eberflus for some questionable decisions made during Thanksgiving weekend which, incidentally, was against the Lions.
The Bears now have arguably the league's most exciting play-caller in the building as their head coach and while there has been considerable praise thrown their way, former Denver Broncos guard Mark Schlereth doesn't believe Johnson is the home-run hire everyone is making him out to be.
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The three-time Super Bowl champion outlined his train of thought during Tuesday's episode of FS1's Breakfast Ball, saying:
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"I don’t know how good Ben Johnson’s been because he’s never had to mitigate a mistake. In Detroit, anything you want to call is on the table because you don’t have to mitigate.
"You’ve got one of the best offensive lines in football. You’ve got two of the best running backs in football. You’ve got an All-Star quarterback operating your offense. You’ve got the best slot receiver in football. You’ve got a guy who can take the top off a coverage in Williams. You’ve got one of the top three tight ends in the NFC.
"You’re driving a G-Wagon in Detroit. Now you’re heading to Chicago. You know what you’re driving? You’re driving a clunker in to work.”
What Ben Johnson is inheriting with the Chicago Bears
The first task for Ben Johnson will be to figure out how to get Caleb Williams to perform at his peak. Despite investing some money in the offseason and putting some veterans around Williams (as well as drafting rookie WR Rome Odunze), Williams struggled to get off to a good start as the Bears dealt with a variety of challenges.
Williams threw for 3,541 yards with 20 touchdowns and six interceptions, and while those numbers are respectable, he also took a league-leading 68 sacks. Rebuilding the O-line should be a priority too.
The Bears have the 10th overall pick in April's draft and will have to address a bunch of team needs including at IOL, RB, DL, OT and EDGE.
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