Dan Bernstein Unfiltered | Episode: “Don't forget why Ben Johnson was hired.” Podcast Date: December 9, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, Dan Bernstein and longtime producer Matt Abbatacola dig into the ongoing development of the Chicago Bears under head coach Ben Johnson. The heart of the discussion is why Johnson was hired and what fans should (and shouldn’t) expect from the offense—specifically in relation to young quarterback Caleb Williams. The duo warns against reading too much into recent, more “simplified” offensive approaches that stray from Johnson’s principles, drawing lessons from past Bears regimes and underscoring the importance of building a sustainable, potent attack. The episode also touches on NFL news, memorable sports moments, and a quirky tangent about a Church of Scientology commercial.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Bears Offense & Ben Johnson’s Philosophy

• Second Half Adjustments Against Packers:

  • Matt flags that while the Bears offense improved in the second half vs. the Packers by including more boot action, rollouts, and half-field reads, this isn’t sustainable or truly “Ben Johnson football.”
  • "They did it out of necessity and some of that stuff works. There's a time and a place to do that...But when you start doing that, you limit the offense.” — [02:04], Matt

• Why Fans Shouldn’t Love the ‘Boot Action’ Approach Too Much:

  • Half-field concepts “dumb down” the offense and restrict growth. Drawing comparisons to the Nagy/Trubisky era, Matt and Dan are concerned about limiting Williams early.
  • "That is a perfect example of what coaches would refer to…as dumbing down the offense. That is simplifying the offense in a way Ben Johnson doesn’t want to do.” — [02:42], Matt

• The Mitch Trubisky/Nagy Parallel:

  • They reference how cutting the field for Trubisky temporarily worked but limited long-term success. Nagy ultimately ceded playcalling, but the simplified set couldn’t evolve.
  • "They had to do it because their quarterback couldn't read a defense." — [05:01], Matt

• What Ben Johnson Was Hired For:

  • Johnson’s mission is to build a robust, advanced offense—one that consistently challenges a young quarterback to “get it” as a pocket passer, not just improvise with athleticism.
  • "His job is to teach Caleb Williams...as a pocket quarterback...The movement of the pocket is there as a tactic. It is not the basis of the offense.” — [06:04], Matt

• What Happens If They Start Simplifying Now:

  • If the need to simplify arises this early, it signals serious developmental concerns for Williams.
  • "If in fact you're already there, if you're already at this point, well, they got to cut the field in half. Then you got a big, big problem." — [05:07], Matt

2. Comparing Ben Johnson to Past Bears Coaches

• Dan: “It hasn’t been up to Ben Johnson standard, period.” — [06:27]

  • The difference from Nagy: Johnson’s offense is proven. Fans can’t demand both offensive ingenuity and basic, comfort-zone play for Williams.
  • "You can't be excited about having Ben Johnson as your head coach and start asking him to cut the field in half." — [06:29], Matt

• Emphasizing Development Over Short-term “Comfort Plays”:

  • Matt: Winning now with half-field reads isn’t real development. Johnson’s task is to “push the boundaries” and elevate both QB and offense together.
  • "That's not development and that's not why Ben Johnson took this job. He didn’t take this job to run the Alex Smith offense." — [09:59], Matt

3. Building for Sustained Success, Not One-off Years

• Why Athleticism Isn’t a Long-term Plan:

  • Dan cautions that relying on Williams’ improvisation and athleticism might eke out wins for a season but can’t sustain playoff runs or build a dynasty.
  • “It could probably give you a year of winning games based on Caleb's athleticism. But that's not something that you build on.” — [08:41], Dan

• Skill Position Fallout:

  • If the offense gets overly simplified, playmakers can be left out, hurting morale and limiting effectiveness.
  • “You're going to have somebody on the other side of the field…never seeing the ball.” — [08:51], Matt

4. Signs of Progress with Caleb Williams

• Recent Improvement:

  • Matt notes Williams is “starting to see it now”, reads are more correct, and timing is improving—though accuracy and full processing still lag.
  • “There were indications that his eyes are getting better staying up, that the timing…is starting to slow down…just not quite at that level yet.” — [10:43], Matt
  • Dan agrees: “While he may not be at the point where he's pulling the trigger…he's at least seeing it now. And that was a big step.” — [11:53], Dan

• Key Development Criteria:

  • Don't get tunnel vision on stats or short-term outcomes. The right offense will make the numbers follow.
  • “The stats will take care of themselves if the offense works...He has to see it. He's got to process it, he's got to anticipate it. And we're not quite at that level yet.” — [12:08], Matt

• Challenging Williams to Grow:

  • Johnson must keep pushing challenging concepts, using “dumbed down” plays sparingly—even if they work in certain situations.
  • “You want to continually be challenging, challenging, challenging.” — [13:14], Matt

• Don’t Confuse Real Play Design with Freestyling:

  • There’s a difference between designed rollouts and improvisational sandlot football. Johnson’s system is about layered choices, not “Superman” escapes.
  • “Don't confuse those [designed rollouts] with the ‘I'm a Superman, I'm going to escape’...Those aren't what we're trying to get to.” — [15:48], Dan

5. The Broader Bears Picture

• Enjoying Progress While Staying Realistic:

  • While the team is winning (“nine games does change it a little”), they’re still a work in progress, and likely not on a Super Bowl path yet.
  • “Even with a work in progress...the Bears can still win a playoff game this year...But I don't think they're going to win a Super Bowl this year.” — [17:42], Dan

• Not Winning “Cutting the Field in Half”:

  • Both hosts emphasize the team can’t reach championship levels if they stick to limited, “basic” offense for their quarterback.
  • “They're not going to win a Super Bowl cutting the field in half for the quarterback. They're not.” — [18:15], Matt

• Johnson Needs to Stay the Course:

  • Don’t bend your offense to fit the QB’s limitations. The hire was about building a cutting-edge system for the long haul, not short-term comfort.
  • “He [Johnson] has to stay with his game plan. He can't adjust his offense to match what Caleb Williams can do for the moment, that doesn't benefit anything for the future.” — [18:22], Dan

6. The Ben Johnson Persona—Shirtless Celebrations & National Perception

• Memes and Locker Room Culture:

  • Ben Johnson’s shirtless celebration is already a running joke—even referenced nationally (including on a kids’ broadcast).

  • "It's because of his offense and his ability to get the most out of what a quarterback can do...That's what you celebrate in him. It isn't the everything else." — [19:26], Matt

  • Both hosts joke about how Johnson’s locker room antics will be remembered if the Bears don’t win, likening it to the infamous Mike Singletary pants-dropping incident.

  • "If you don't win games, Dan, that turns into...He was a gimmick guy. It wasn't real." — [32:13], Dan

7. Quick Hits: NFL & Sports Notes

• Philip Rivers’ Tryout:

  • Both are amused (and skeptical) that Rivers, out of the league four years and with ten kids, tried out for the Colts. They joke about him “getting out of the house.”

  • "Take up fishing. Don't go back if you're tired of being in the house...Go hunting. Take a walk. Go birding. Don't go back.” — [56:28], Matt

  • Stats: Rivers' last game was Jan 9, 2021, playoff loss to Buffalo.

  • "You don't want any of this...not these guys. Too big, too fast, too strong, too good." — [57:07], Matt

• Scientology Commercial:

  • Matt gives an entertaining, scathing review of David Miscavige’s unintentionally sinister TV ad for the Church of Scientology, likening him to a “B-movie villain” and the “serpent from Genesis.”
  • "It is the most unintentionally, deeply sinister 30 seconds you've ever seen in your life.” — [46:15], Matt

• Notre Dame/ACC Realignment:

  • Brief, late-in-episode discussion about whether Notre Dame should fully join a conference, suggesting the Big Ten is the logical move.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)

• "That's not ultimately what Ben Johnson wants to do. I just want to be really clear about this...when you start doing that, you limit the offense." — [02:04], Matt
• "That is a perfect example of what coaches would refer to...as dumbing down the offense." — [02:42], Matt
• "They had to do it because their quarterback couldn't read a defense." — [05:01], Matt
• "If in fact you're already there...Then you got a big, big problem." — [05:07], Matt
• "You can't be excited about having Ben Johnson as your head coach and start asking him to cut the field in half." — [06:29], Matt
• "His job is to teach Caleb Williams...as a pocket quarterback." — [06:04], Matt
• "It's not a good thing and it's also not sustainable." — [08:34], Dan
• "That's not why Ben Johnson's here. He's not here to run...that. He's here because he knows how to pick up big chunks of yards and spin that scoreboard like a pinball machine.” — [07:38], Matt
• “It's not about chasing the stats, it's about chasing the success.” — [12:08], Matt
• "You want to continually be challenging, challenging, challenging.” — [13:14], Matt
• “Don't confuse those [designed rollouts] with the ‘I'm a Superman, I'm going to escape’...Those aren't what we're trying to get to.” — [15:48], Dan
• On shirtless celebration: "If you don't win games, Dan, that turns into...He was a gimmick guy. It wasn't real." — [32:13], Dan

Important Segment Timestamps

• [00:29] – Early discussion: Bears offense, Packers game adjustments
• [02:04] – “That’s not the offense.” Why Ben Johnson are resisting half-field concepts
• [03:13] – Drawing parallels to the Nagy/Trubisky era
• [06:04-07:38] – What Ben Johnson wants: growth, complexity, “pinball machine” offense
• [08:34] – Flaws of relying on QB improvisation for wins
• [10:43-13:14] – Caleb Williams’ progress and what true development looks like
• [15:48-17:42] – Designed rollouts vs. scramble drills; offense as a work in progress
• [18:15-19:26] – On not winning with a cut-in-half offense; necessity for sticking with Johnson’s big-picture plan
• [29:36-33:43] – National perception of Ben Johnson’s shirtless celebration
• [46:15] – Review of the sinister Scientology ad
• [56:05-59:13] – Amused reflections on Philip Rivers’ tryout with the Colts

Final Takeaways

• Don’t Clamor for Simplicity: The Bears must trust the process with Ben Johnson, even if growing pains for Caleb Williams are visible. The ceiling is set by their ability to master a challenging, dynamic offense—not by reverting to “what works now.”
• Embrace Patience in Development: Sustainable success is built on developing a QB to “see it all” and run a full-field attack. The flash of successful improvisation is a byproduct, not a plan.
• Remember Why Ben Johnson’s Here: He wasn’t hired to be a meme (or to run the Alex Smith offense); he’s here to build something enduring and explosive.

This summary captures the major content segments of the episode, bringing clarity for listeners new to the show and for die-hard Chicago sports fans eager to keep pace with the evolution of the Bears from a smart, critical perspective.