Silvy: This year there’s no tiptoeing through Bears training camp
And they’re off. Bears season is finally underway, and the biggest takeaway was that Ben Johnson proved that he’s a man of his word.
As he opened Bears camp, Johnson proclaimed: “This is a race now. Everything is a race.”
On Wednesday, Johnson raced Caleb Williams and the first-team offense off the field after they indecisively lined up for plays. The first time, Johnson jogged with Williams back to the huddle, loudly giving him the tough love the coach promised. In the following play, Williams threw his best pass, a dart over the middle to Cole Kmet.
A short time later, as the play clock ran down twice in 7-on-7, Johnson gave the hook to the first team’s reps and motioned to veteran QB Case Keenum to take over.
It was a scene Halas Hall hasn’t witnessed in years. It was the exact opposite of Matt Eberflus’ style. Dare I say, it was football coaches coaching the way the game is meant to be coached. Nothing cute. Nothing fancy. Just good old-fashioned accountability.
It finally made sense.
Johnson cautioned everyone this would be the case in his introductory press conference, illustrated during minicamp, reiterated again in his presser to open camp, and executed it perfectly on Day 1.
As Johnson discussed the urgency of getting enough reps in the next six weeks to be ready for the NFL regular season, it was a breath of fresh air. There would be zero tiptoeing through camp, thinking the team has plenty of time, like past Bears coaches.
In previous years, players would miss days, or practice at half speed, and no one seemed concerned. Johnson acknowledged that he isn’t familiar with what went on in the past (I don’t believe him) but added, “Everything matters.”
That’s everything except for Ryan Poles’ contract extension, which Poles barely addressed and then wouldn’t take any questions. When I asked one beat writer why the leader of the Bears organization barely spoke at the opening of camp, the person responded with, “Ben is the leader.”
It was never more apparent than on opening day of camp.
Another thing Johnson clarified when he addressed the media was that there would be no panicking after a bad practice or two. So while “everything matters,” there’s nothing to be concerned with Caleb’s progress — it was just an indicator of how much work needs to be put in before the opener.
Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen also spoke to that when he made his unit do up-downs, otherwise known as burpees, like a high school team. Allen mentioned that there’s a toll to be paid, how training camp is a long, dark road, and how it’s supposed to be hard.
Ah, football being coached like football.
Many skeptical fans have wanted to see it executed on the field, and I can assure you that Day 1 was everything you wanted to see from the new coaching staff. Now it’s time for the players to match that intensity.
Here are a few of the interesting things I witnessed:
• After Caleb’s rough start, Tremaine Edmunds, who intercepted Williams earlier in the day, went over to the QB, patted him on the back, and gave him a few words of encouragement.
• TCU rookie JP Richardson made the catch of the day — a one-handed diving grab on a deep ball from Tyson Bagent. Is it too early to pronounce Richardson the new Tom Waddle? Keenum took second-team reps while Bagent ran with the third string. The competition is open.
• Braxton Jones’ first snap taken back from injury was a false start penalty. Rookie Ozzy Trapilo took all of the first-team reps.
• Roschon Johnson looked a bit quicker and made a nice catch out of the backfield.
• Marc Silverman shares his opinions on the Bears weekly for Shaw Local. Tune in and listen to the “Waddle & Silvy” show weekdays from 2 to 6 p.m. on ESPN 1000.