“This Is What I’m Used To”: Joe Thuney Sends Shockwaves with Praise for Bears' Ben Johnson Era

Bears guard Joe Thuney is more of a leader by example and not really a holler-guy type.

Nevertheless, something Thuney said at the outset of his Wednesday post-practice press conference at OTAs made a major statement about Ben Johnson and the start to his coaching regime.

“Everything, really: The players, the coaches, the whole management," Thuney said when asked about signing his contract. "It's been awesome to take part in this on this team. Obviously, it's early in things. Just the attention to detail, the focus, the passion from the players, the coaches, the staff, everybody, you know, it seems like everyone's pulling in the same direction.

"Everybody's really determined to keep working and improving."

Then came Thuney's key line.

"It's what I'm used to and it felt right," he said.

"It's what I'm used to and it felt right."

 

- Four-time Super Bowl champion Joe Thuney

Thuney is used to a very high level considering he has missed the playoffs only once in a career spanning nine-plus seasons and including six Super Bowl appearances.

Thuney didn't attempt to reassure anone or want to get drawn into a comparison of Johnson with his two all-time great head coaches to date, Bill Belichick and Andy Reid. Obviously Johnson is only starting his head coaching career and the other two are legends.

“During the meetings I've just been really impressed and I've learned a lot," Thuney said. "He communicates things very clearly, what he wants and what he expects which makes it easy for us players because we know exactly what to do to go execute.

"He's just his own coach, it's been awesome.”

Huge step forward

Still, knowing this is what Thuney is "used to" is a major step forward. Coaching became the major issue with the last regime and there were hints very early on even before the clownish ending of games prior to Matt Eberflus' firing.

Players don't like to dwell upon what happened under a different step but the comparisons are inevitable. It's been only a short time but the Bears definitely feel like they're being coached.

Last year players complained early in-season that they wanted to be held accountable with harder coaching, and that coaches also needed to be accountable. That was an omen for the end of the regime.

Johnson and staff actually seem to be achieving this on both sides of the football, although it is extremely early.

Linebacker Tremaine Edmunds sees it with defensive coordinator Dennis Allen, as well as Johnson.

"It's been good, a lot of intensity," Edmunds said of Allen, the former Saints head coach. "Obviously a guy that had success in the league over in New Orleans. They had a lot of good years, good defenses, and, like I said, just his energy, man, and what he demands from his players.

"I think that's the number one thing that sticks out. Obviously he holds the guys accountable. You can see that at an early stage."

It's apparent on the field with the hollering going on at practice. Running backs coach Eric Bieniemy isn't the only coach getting on players, although he might be the loudest.

"If we're messing up on something, got to call you out for it, but it's a good call out, you know what I mean?" Edmunds said. "It keeps everybody on their toes, keeps everybody responsible as far as getting that playbook and, like I said, man, just his energy on the field. You definitely feel that."

That's not just Allen. Edmunds sees it in Johnson and his more aggressive approach.

"I mean, this is our second day of practice, but it's intensity, from offensive intensity, on defense and as a whole, that's what you want, man," Edmunds said. "That's what develops a good football team, you know what I mean?

"You got this side that's competing like crazy, this side competing like crazy, collectively when it comes together, it's a good thing. I think that's what we have, you know what I mean, I see it early. Guys just want to make plays. You got guys who wanna make plays on defense, guys wanna make plays on offense. Take it a step above that, a coach that just wants to score points and make big plays and then on defense, a coach that wants to take the ball away and wants to make sure the offense is not moving the ball at all. That's what you look for."

Throughout the offseason and training camp under Matt Eberflus, the defense carried that chip but the offense seemed unable to do it except when Chase Claypool got snotty with DBs. Then he didn't show this in games.

They're convinced this is the way a winning team looks and Thuney's comment about what he's used to is the best testament. Defensive tackle Grady Jarrett was with a Super Bowl team in Atlanta, as well.

"I've been around for a long time and that's the kind of culture you have to set early because when the expectations are high, that's what you want,” Jarrett said.

There's no doubt Johnson is the tone setter.

"A couple times where he's stopping practice, you can definitely hear him out there," safety Kevin Byard said. "It's been fun, a lot of competition, especially going with the offense."

Intensity starts with head coach

Johnson was asked about the apparent agitation with some players during Wednesday's practice.

"You saw agitation today?" he joked with a laughing group of reporters. "Yeah, no, I thought that was normal.

"I'll work to get my body language under control."

An open mic caught one person in the media room saying, "I love this guy, I love him," as Johnson exited.

The players have said the same because of the intensity.

"That equivalates to just high intensity, just everybody competing at a high level, and it brings a dog out of everybody, man," Jarrett said. "At the end of the day, a dog wanna play with a dog, and you feel that energy, you feel that love from everybody, man. It's going to make you step your game up for sure."

The daily dogfight has begun.

Ask any Bears fan of a certain age what they want in a coach and while they definitely want an offensive genius, they miss the intensity of a coach like Mike Ditka. They miss having a coach who makes it obvious he cares.

Johnson had a teacher in Dan Campbell who has many of the same emotional characteristics.

The Bears see Johnson's intensity as the way to emerge as top dog but much happens between OTAs and the start of the season.

It's a process to be watched daily as many of the same things were said about the Matt Eberflus approach and HITS principle early before it all came tumbling down.