Ben Johnson credits Bears coaching staff for having players prepared

In their Week 12 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Chicago Bears had a plethora of contributions from players who stepped up in wake of injuries.

All three of the team's starting linebackers were out for the game, giving three different defenders the chance to step in, which they did, while left tackle Theo Benedet also missed the game, and rookie Ozzy Trapilo filled in nicely. As easy as it is to praise and give flowers to the players who actually stepped on the field, the team's coaching staff also deserves plenty of credit as well.

Earlier this week, head coach Ben Johnson spoke about how his vision was to have every player, no matter their role, prepared for a bigger opportunity.

"This is what I'm accustomed to," Johnson said. "Where I've been in the past, this is what happens this time of year. Guys go down and someone else has to step up. The vision has been from the time we ended training camp, that if you're a special teams player on the 53, be ready to be starting at some point on offense or defense. And likewise, if you're a practice squad player, be ready to be called up. We've tried to develop them over the course of the year."

Johnson also credited his coaching staff for having players ready and to the reserve players for not shying away from the opportunities.

"Our coaching staff, I think they do a really good job of not just coaching the guys that are going to be playing on Sunday, but making sure we're coaching the show teams as well," he said. "A guy like (assistant offensive line coach) Kyle DeVan, I see him in that show team huddle every single day and not just to get the right look for our defense, but also to coach up our young offensive linemen to make sure that they're developing also. I think there’s a balance of that that goes on. I think those guys know that they're not just here to fill a spot. They also have a big role to play in terms of what we're doing. When their number is called, they don't shy away from it."

Johnson has made a remarkable impact in his first 11 games as head coach of the Bears, but there may not be a better compliment he can receive more than having every single player on the roster ready. No team is going to be fully healthy at this stage of the season, and Johnson has the Bears ready to go, no matter who they need to rely on.

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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Ben Johnson credits Bears coaching staff for having players prepared