Ben Johnson's Bears Climb, Ranked 13th Among NFL Coaches

0:00It's April 8, I'm Cory with the story, and this is NFL News Today Football News powered by AI. NBC analyst Patrick Dockardy ranked Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson, 13th overall, among 22 NFL head coaches. He didn't slot the newest hires into the main list, but gave Johnson high praise in a separate write-up for turning the Bears around fast. In Johnson's first year, he slashed quarterback Caleb Williams' sacks from 68 to 24. The Bears offense jumped from 26 unexpected points added per play to 7th, and they scored 131 more points, landing 9th in the league. They won the NFC North, grabbed the conference's number two seed, and pulled off a wild car comeback against rival Green Bay. Sure, a lot of those wins came down to one score, even one point at times, sparking talk of luck and possible regression. But Johnson sets the tone for the whole roster, not just offense, and the defense under Dennis Allen should get even better in year two, with fewer.

1:00Turnovers, but more polish overall. Dardi placed him just below Minnesota's Kevin O'Connell at 12th, Green Bay's Matt LaFlure at 10th, and his old Lions boss Dan Campbell at 8th. These guys have years of experience in a brutal division, so 13th feels right for now. With Johnson's prep meeting opportunity, expect the Bears to keep climbing without missing a beat.