Bears coach Ben Johnson is trying to move the team forward by putting it in his players' hands

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — There are a handful of topics guaranteed to irritate Bears coach Ben Johnson .

He doesn’t want to be pressed for updates about injured cornerback Kyler Gordon and doesn’t like inquiries about whether he plans to play quarterback Caleb Williams and the other starters in preseason games, such as the one the Bears will play Saturday against the Titans.

But he really hates any questions pertaining to last season.

Why, though, would that bother him? It was a spectacular turnaround for the Bears, who won the NFC North and won their first playoff game in 15 years. Johnson also was a finalist for Coach of the Year.

‘‘Are you trying to annoy me right now?’’ he replied, glaring with a fury rivaling the scorching Tennessee sun.

He sees no purpose in looking back. He’s moving forward at full speed. Always.

‘‘All I care about is, does it help us win or not?’’ Johnson said. ‘‘Talking about last year isn’t going to do us any good in terms of winning . . . the next preseason game, winning Week 1.’’

Johnson is proud of what he and the team achieved last season and has said so, but his point is on target: This is a new adventure. Even with some carryover on the roster, it’s a new team. And he’s coaching it differently.

He remains the ultra-competitive, intense, hard-driving coach he always has been, but he hasn’t seen the need to give his team a butt-kicking, as he did last season. He has been talking about his players taking ownership, especially on offense, and him stepping back is part of that.

When Johnson gets after the team, it’s every bit as fierce as before — ‘‘He’s still extremely sharp and very, very tough,’’ quarterback Caleb Williams said — but those moments have happened less often. In fact, Williams was the one who lost his temper in the joint practice Thursday with the Titans and Johnson who stepped in to say, ‘‘Calm down.’’

Add it to the list of things he has been teaching Williams, who needs to know every concept and variation in Johnson’s playbook. He needs to be so dialed in to defensive coverages that he’s a step ahead of his opponents when he takes the snap. He needs to straighten out his footwork and throw more accurately. But he also must learn to lead.

‘‘He’s allowing us players to be able to step up,’’ Williams said when he was asked what Johnson is handling differently this season. ‘‘You win championships when you’re a player-led team, so Coach is trying to allow us to do that, and he steps in whenever he needs to.’’

Williams has made some headway in that area but still has further to go.

Everything from the play-call to the snap is smoother than it was a year ago, and that’s the starting point for running Johnson’s offense effectively. Johnson spent much of their first training camp together yelling for Williams to get out of the huddle, but there hasn’t been any of that this time.

One of the best ways to lead, however, is also to play well. It’s hard for Williams to have credibility unless he shows it on the field. His late-game heroics certainly made him a magnet for teammates, but the truest sign of growth this season will be implementing everything Johnson has been saying.

Johnson wants Williams to complete 70% of his passes. He wants him to make better reads and not skip past good options early in the play. He wants steadiness, so those last-minute escapes aren’t necessary.

Once Williams goes from echoing Johnson’s words to transferring them to the way he plays, it’ll be his team. Johnson is trying to get the Bears to that future as fast as he can.

Indexed and credited by AIPROPX. Originating outlet: Chicago Sun-Times. Open at source →