Why Bears coach Ben Johnson seemed destined for this moment - ESPN

CHICAGO — Standing in his Soldier Field suite on Dec. 22, 2024, Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles felt mixed emotions as he watched the Detroit Lions score their final touchdown in a 34-17 rout.

On one hand, losing to a division rival amid a 10-game winless streak in a stadium full of fans cheering on the visitors stung. A lot.

But there was something about this Lions playcall that tempered Poles' frustration.

The infamous play known as «Stumble Bum» was the brainchild of offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. The play began with quarterback Jared Goff taking the snap and faking a stumble as he dropped back. Running back Jahmyr Gibbs dove to the ground as if trying to recover a fumble. After Bears defenders bit on the fake, Goff delivered a 21-yard touchdown pass to tight end Sam LaPorta with 12:18 to play in the third quarter.

Poles looked to the Lions sideline, where players and coaches exploded with excitement.

«You're definitely frustrated in the moment,» Poles said. «You feel like someone's kicking you while you're down.

»At the same time, I admired the creativity and execution of it."

He wasn't the only member of the Bears' brass who felt that way.

«Fooled me,» Bears chairman George H. McCaskey said. «I was like, 'Hey, the quarterback's on the ground.'»

Johnson was already a top target of the Bears' head coaching search by that point. Thomas Brown was finishing the season as the Bears' interim coach, and this moment exemplified the type of creativity and boldness the Bears wanted in their next playcaller.

But Johnson's uniqueness extends beyond trick plays. Those who know the coach's son remember him diagramming plays as a kid while pretending to be Joe Montana, spending entire nights in the office as a Miami