Bears coach Ben Johnson was asked today whether he’s planning some “exotic” play calls for Saturday’s playoff game against the Packers. He said that’s the opposite of his focus this week.
Johnson said that the Bears are focused on the basics this week, not doing anything unique because it’s the playoffs.
“I’m rooted in the fundamentals, particularly in games like this,” Johnson said. “It’s about blocking, it’s about tackling, it’s about catching the ball, it’s about ball security. Things of that nature come to the forefront. I’m more concerned about playing sound football, putting our guys in the right spot. We’ve got a lot of talented players and you just want them to play fast, play confident, and put them in good spots. That’s what we’re concerned about as a coaching staff.”
Johnson said he’s telling his players that “Every blade of grass matters, every inch matters,” and they need to play on Saturday night like they have all season.
“It won’t take long once that ball’s kicked off for us all to understand, it’s another football game,” Johnson said. “You focus on your fundamentals, you focus on your details and little things, and that’s what we’ve been talking about all week.”
