Ben Johnson’s comments seem to hint at which weapons he will look to prioritize against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 1
He’s showing his hand just a little.
The Chicago Bears are set to close out the Week 1 slate against the Minnesota Vikings on “Monday Night Football” and all eyes will be on Ben Johnson’s offense in this one.
Johnson noted earlier in the week that the offense won’t primarily be on the shoulders of quarterback Caleb Williams and other players on the offense will have to carry the load at some point in this game.
A few days later, Johnson was asked about the team’s depleted and seemed to show his hand just a little bit when it comes to which weapons he’ll look to prioritize against Minnesota.
“Because we’re uniquely set up to have so much perimeter skill, that maybe the ball doesn’t go to that one room as much,” Johnson said on Saturday. “And that’s the competition we have each and every week is, where is the ball going to go. I already told you that’s the struggle we have as a staff. Making sure that we get the ball distributed to the right guys here and give them all a chance to showcase what they can do.
“We have no shortage of playmakers. That’s really ensured why we feel really good about, not just the running back room, but our entire stable on offense.”
Does Ben Johnson plan to shy away from using his RBs in Week 1?
To me, that makes it sound like Johnson is going to lean heavy in his perimeter players instead of pounding the run game with the running backs, which makes sense on paper.
Johnson has expressed support in D’Andre Swift being the lead back and trust in rookie Kyle Monangai to do his job as well. But, behind those two, Roschon Johnson has missed a lot of practice time due to a foot injury and is limited in this game, which means practice squad back Brittain Brown likely gets elevated.
The smart strategy in this specific game will be to rely on DJ Moore, Rome Odunze, and the two tight ends to carry the offense against the Vikings secondary, which has its own concerns at cornerback and will now be without safety Harrison Smith.
Moore specifically can help carry some of the weight in the run game after practicing at running back all throughout training camp. Even watching the Sunday slate in Week 1, two plays stood out to me when tight ends Jonnu Smith and Tucker Kraft made some big plays on jet sweep carries. It wouldn’t surprise me if Johnson manufactures a similar play for Cole Kmet or Colston Loveland.
That’s not to say Swift or Monangai won’t be a factor in this game. Johnson will still look to call the game to keep Brian Flores’ defense honest. But expect the bulk of the heavy lifting tonight to come from the other weapons on the perimeter.
Chicago Bears News
Bears add CB Kyler Gordon to the Week 1 injury report with a setback that brings more concerns to the secondary
Tough news to get on Sunday.
