Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson is the complete opposite of Matt Eberflus. Here’s why.

LAKE FOREST – New Chicago Bears coach Ben Johnson was not shy about how much the quarterback position mattered when he was deciding where he wanted to be a head coach.

“It’s clear that modern football in the NFL is quarterback driven,” Johnson said Wednesday during his introductory news conference. “That is no secret. You can look at analytics right now, quarterback success is a higher predictor of winning and losing than turnover ratio, which has been [the most important] for 20-plus years. OK? That’s changed. So there’s no doubt Caleb [Williams] played a large component into my decision.”

The quarterback is the key. Johnson’s hiring is a 180-degree turn from his predecessor Matt Eberflus in almost every way.

It’s not just offense vs. defense. It’s deeply philosophical.

The Bears introduced general manager Ryan Poles and Eberflus on Jan. 31, 2022. During the introductory news conference, Eberflus laid out his coaching philosophy.

Eberflus believed in his H.I.T.S. principle for teaching the game of football (hustle, intensity, takeaways and situational smarts).

Notice there’s no Q in that acronym. The quarterback had to follow those principles, too, but the quarterback was just one of 11 players on the field.

Eberflus preached turnovers for his defense and taking care of the football for his offense.

Williams did a great job taking care of the football as a rookie in 2024. He tossed only six interceptions. It was the fewest interceptions of any Bears quarterback who started at least 10 games in a season.

The Bears finished ninth as a team among 32 teams in turnover margin (plus eight), and yet they still finished 5-12 on the season.

Of the top five teams in turnover margin during the 2024 regular season, only one is still alive heading into conference championship weekend (Buffalo).

And that’s exactly what Johnson is pointing to. The 2023 Chiefs team that won the Super Bowl a year ago? That group finished tied for 28th with a minus-11 turnover margin in the regular season.

But the Chiefs can lean on Patrick Mahomes in big moments, particularly in the postseason.

“This game, over the last five years, has transitioned from turnovers and takeaways, and it’s now about quarterback play,” Johnson said.

Johnson did a fantastic job of building the Detroit Lions' offense toward the strengths of quarterback Jared Goff. He made it clear this week that he would be building the Bears’ offense around Williams.

Johnson is not simply going to bring his playbook with him from Detroit. Williams appreciates that.

“It feels the same way as someone like Lincoln [Riley] – my past coach in college – in the sense of the way I see things, the way I throw this, the way I do this, the way I do that, wasn’t the same as other guys," Williams said. “It’s the same for each player in the NFL. Not every player is Julio Jones, but you’re yourself. Not every player is Jared Goff, but you’re yourself.”

When Eberflus came to Chicago three years ago, he brought with him his 4-3 defensive scheme. With his defense, it was never about adjusting the scheme to fit the players. If a player didn’t fit the scheme, the Bears sent him packing (Khalil Mack and Roquan Smith come to mind).

Poles spent the past three years building the defense to Eberflus' specifications. Eberflus wanted a lanky linebacker roving the middle, Poles spent big money on Tremaine Edmunds. The coach wanted a hard-hitting safety, the GM drafted Jaquan Brisker.

To be sure, Poles is going to build this team with Johnson’s vision in mind. But Johnson also understands that this defense can compete at a high level right now.

“This game, over the last five years, has transitioned from turnovers and takeaways and it’s now about quarterback play.”

—  Ben Johnson, Bears head coach

There’s likely to be flexibility. Just look at some of the coaches who have been linked to the Bears as potential defensive coordinators.

Former Saints head coach Dennis Allen traditionally runs a 4-3. The Bears requested an interview with Rams passing game coordinator Aubrey Pleasant. The Rams run a 3-4 base defense. They’ve also requested Vikings passing game coordinator Daronte Jones. The Vikings are the most flexible defense in the NFL. They run whatever the opponent’s offense necessitates.

Johnson sounds like a coach who’s willing to do whatever works.

“I can give you all the cliches about pursuit and being relentless and getting takeaways,” Johnson said.

He did not, in fact, do that.

Instead, he noted what he believes is most important to winning a football game: “Offensively, how do we set up our quarterback to have the most success within a game and how do we disrupt the opposing quarterback.”

The modern game is about the quarterback – on both sides of the ball.