00:00Ben Johnson's big mistake became apparent throughout the playoffs.
00:05He's one of the brightest offensive minds in the NFL. That's why the Bears hired him,
00:09that's why they believe in him. But even the best minds make mistakes,
00:14and Johnson made one right away. And it's something that became painfully obvious
00:20as the playoffs unfolded. Now, let's start with what he said.
00:24During his introductory press conference, Johnson made two bold claims.
00:29First, he said the NFC North is the toughest division in football. That's debatable,
00:34but we'll get to that. I want to stay in this division.
00:39I know this is the toughest division of football right now. There's three teams
00:43that made the playoffs this year. The bigger issue is what he said next.
00:48Johnson stated that quarterback success is the most important factor in winning football games.
00:53More important than anything else. Even more than turnovers. And that, my friends, is simply not
01:00true. Look, we all love great quarterback play. There's a reason Patrick Mahomes,
01:05Joe Burrow, and Josh Allen are always in the conversation. There's a reason teams fight
01:10to find their franchise guy. But winning in the NFL is about more than just the quarterback.
01:15And if there's one thing this year's playoffs proved, it's that turnovers still decide games.
01:21Let's look at the numbers. There have been 12 playoff games this postseason.
01:26The team that lost the turnover battle in those games, they have a record of 1-1-7.
01:31That's right. Lose the turnover battle and you're almost guaranteed to lose the game.
01:36The only exception? The Chiefs in the AFC Championship. And let's be real.
01:41Kansas City has been bending the rules of football reality for years.
01:46Four of those playoff games had no turnovers, so we'll take those out of the equation.
01:50But check this out. Losing teams in the playoffs committed 25 turnovers. Winning teams?
01:57Just one. One. That is not a coincidence. That is not a fluke. That is proof
02:03that protecting the football is the single biggest factor in winning games.
02:08Now, let's bring this back to the Bears. If you watched Chicago this past season,
02:13you know turnovers were a massive problem. The Bears had one of the worst turnover
02:18differentials in the league. And guess what? They didn't make the playoffs.
02:21Meanwhile, 12 of the 13 best teams in turnover differential made the playoffs.
02:27That's not an accident. That's a pattern. So when Ben Johnson says quarterback success
02:32is the biggest factor, he's missing the bigger picture. Of course, a great quarterback helps.
02:38But if your team turns the ball over, it doesn't matter how good your quarterback is.
02:41You're going to lose. Let's look at some more numbers.
02:45Of the top 16 quarterbacks and touchdown passes this season, 11 made the playoffs.
02:50That's good, right? But 5 didn't. Of the top 16 quarterbacks and passer rating,
02:5511 made the playoffs. But 5 didn't. Of the quarterbacks who threw the most
03:00interceptions, half still made the playoffs. 8 did not. Now compare that to turnover differential.
03:09Almost every team that protected the football made the postseason. See the difference?
03:15This is something the Bears need to fix immediately. They can't afford to be
03:20careless with the football. They can't afford to lose the turnover battle week after week.
03:26And as much as we all want to see better quarterback play,
03:30it won't mean a thing if the Bears don't clean up their turnovers.
03:34Ben Johnson needs to recognize this. Football is always evolving. Teams throw more now than
03:40ever before. Quarterbacks are more skilled than ever before. But one thing hasn't changed.
03:45If you don't protect the football, you're not going to win.
03:49Just ask the Detroit Lions. They had the NFC Championship in their hands.
03:54They were one game away from the Super Bowl, and what happened?
03:585 turnovers. 5. And just like that, the game was over. The city of Detroit was heartbroken.
04:06Johnson saw this happen firsthand. He was there. He coached that offense. And yet, somehow,
04:13he still walked into his first Bears press conference and said,
04:16quarterback play matters more than turnovers. It doesn't. It never has. It never will.
04:22Now, does this mean Johnson isn't the right guy for the job? Absolutely not.
04:26He's still a brilliant offensive mind. He still has the potential to change
04:30the Bears' future. But he has to learn from this.
04:35If he wants to bring Chicago back to the playoffs, he has to put a major focus
04:40on protecting the football. He has to teach this team how to take care of the ball,
04:46how to create takeaways, how to win the turnover battle.
04:51Because that's how you win in the NFL. So what does this mean for the Bears moving forward?
04:57First, they need a quarterback who can protect the football. Whether it's Justin Fields or
05:01someone else, turnovers can't be an issue anymore. Second, they need playmakers on defense who can
05:07force takeaways. The Bears' defense has to start winning possessions for the offense.
05:13Third, the offensive line needs to step up. Protecting the quarterback and giving him
05:17time to make smart decisions is just as critical as making big plays. Mistakes happen under
05:22pressure. A clean pocket means fewer forced throws, fewer sacks, and fewer fumbles.
05:28Fourth, the coaching staff needs to emphasize discipline. Penalties and sloppy execution lead
05:35to more mistakes. Teams that play disciplined, fundamentally sound football tend to protect
05:41the ball better. The Bears need to be one of those teams. Fifth, Johnson must recognize that
05:46winning in the NFL isn't about just one thing. It's about balancing strong quarterback play with
05:52elite ball security, a sound defense, and a winning culture. This is a big moment for Chicago.
05:59They have a young, talented roster. They have cap space. They have draft picks. They have an
06:02opportunity to build something special. But none of that will matter if they don't take care of
06:07the football. And that, Bears fans, is why Ben Johnson's mistake became so clear during the
06:14playoffs. The good news? There's time to fix it. But if Johnson doesn't adjust, if he sticks to his
06:20belief that quarterback play is everything, well, let's just say we could be in for a long season.
06:28Bears fans, let me know what you think in the comments. Is Johnson on the right track,
06:32or does he need to change his approach? What do you think is the biggest key to winning football
06:36games? Drop your thoughts below. And as always, hit that like button, subscribe for more Bears
06:42content, and let's hope Johnson figures this out before it's too late.
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