Bears coach Ben Johnson is never shy about setting lofty goals.
His target for scoring this year: the 2013 Peyton Manning-led Broncos, who scored an NFL-record 37.9 points per game.
“I know how many points they scored and I want to surpass them,” he told The Athletic in a story published Wednesday. “I want shutouts. I want blowouts.”
Johnson also said that he wants to surpass the NFL’s record for consecutive wins — and to post an undefeated season. He said he wants Bears players to embrace those targets as though they’re within reach.
The Bears finished ninth in the NFL with 25.9 points per game last year. Reaching the Broncos’ record would take an extra 12.1 points per game. The 1941 Bears hold the franchise record for most points per game, with 36.
At their peak last year, the Bears won five games in a row. They’re just three years removed from setting a franchise record with 14 consecutive losses.


