Chicago Bears
For a team that consistently is reported to have won the offseason, recent regular seasons have not been kind to Chicago's fanbase. Once again, the team has a new HC working with a quarterback inherited from a previous staff. Surely, this time it'll be different, right?
For all the hype he got, does Ben Johnson have the chops to succeed as a head coach?
After turning down sure bets with Carolina and Washington in back-to-back offseasons to return as OC for the Lions, Johnson finally accepted a huge deal with a division rival to take over just a couple of months after the Bears did the unthinkable (for them) move of firing a HC mid-season.
The main concern for Johnson is just how well he can improve a team that continually failed to cross the finish line, beginning with gifting the Commanders a Hail Mary win in Week 8 that began a ten-game losing streak, before finally getting their first victory over the Packers in twelve attempts to close out the season.
No one denies his talent with the Xs & Os. But he's already made headlines by kicking the entire starting offense off the field early in training camp and continuing to bash his team's offense for being sloppy.
For all of that, the big question is how well the team, particularly the offense, can handle Johnson's direct approach to their performance. If he can't connect with the team, his push for perfection may begin to fall on intentionally deaf ears, and sooner rather than later.
Will Caleb Williams be the first Bears' QB to break 4,000 yards?
Founded in 1919 and one of just two original members of the NFL still playing today, the Bears hold the dubious distinction of being the only active team without a 4,000 yard passer. Last year, rookie Caleb Williams came close, passing for 3,541 yards and 20 TDs/ 6 INTs - good enough for 5th on the Bears' all-time single season passing chart.
That put him at 17th for the NFL last year, though, as he watched six other QBs, including two within the division, easily cross that 4k mark. He's not unaware of the stat, as his stated goal for this year is to break that barrier. To help him out, he'll have a HC in Johnson who knows what it takes to get there, as Jared Goff gained 4,000+ yards in each of his three seasons in Johnson's offense.
In addition, the Bears drafted some weapons for him this year. Colston Loveland, a TE from Michigan, and WR Luther Burden both went in the first two rounds to Chicago, along with some OL help with OT Ozzy Trapilo late in the second round.
While he has his work cut out for him, the team also returns TE Cole Kmet, WRs DJ Moore and Rome Odunze, and RB D'Andre Swift to help him meet his, and his team's, goals for this year. It's also a sure bet that, with Johnson as HC, he'll have senior coaching staff helping study tape with him this season, unlike last year - and more important for him, help train him how to study tape.