HC Ben Johnson has already turned Bears into budding NFC contender

What a difference a year has made for the Chicago Bears. 

Last season, Chicago went 5-12, missing the playoffs for a fourth straight season. Now, they've won 10 games for the first time since 2018. 

The Bears (10-4) crushed the Cleveland Browns (3-11) in a 31-3 home victory on Sunday. The win showcased the impact of rookie head coach Ben Johnson.

Why Ben Johnson deserves credit for the Bears' turnaround

Except for acquiring guard Joe Thuney from the Kansas City Chiefs in March, the Bears made few roster changes this offseason. Instead, they banked on Johnson — a former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator — making one or two tweaks to push the team to the next level. That strategy is clearly paying off. 

Entering Sunday, the Bears ranked first in the NFL in takeaways (27), already surpassing their total from last season (24). Against Cleveland, they intercepted rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders three times.

Offensively, the Bears rolled. Second-year quarterback Caleb Williams completed 17-of-28 passes for 242 yards and two touchdowns. He also posted an outstanding 112.5 passer rating.

Through 14 starts this season, Williams has yet to throw two or more picks in a game. He did that twice last season. 

Now, beating the Browns certainly won't impress the rest of the NFL. Cleveland sits last in the AFC North and has already been eliminated from playoff contention. However, Johnson didn't let his team play down to its competition. 

"You want to start fast every week, but definitely in this game," Williams said of the Bears racing to an early 14-0 lead over the Browns in a postgame news conference. "Not allowing them to get going, not allowing them to ... you know, feel like they can beat us, that's our mindset going into this game. You know, you want to diminish any thoughts of positivity on their side."  

The victory over Cleveland keeps the Bears' NFC North playoff hopes alive. Per The Athletic, Chicago now has a 32% chance of winning the division. If they beat the Green Bay Packers at home in Week 16, it will jump to 61%. Even if the Bears don't win the NFC North this season, the organization should feel highly optimistic about its future. 

Last season, the team clearly had talent but lacked a premier coach. Now, Chicago has found one in Johnson. Pair him with a promising QB in Williams, and that gives the Bears a chance to make noise this postseason and in future seasons.