In Ben Johnson’s much-anticipated debut as head coach, the Bears fell 27–24 to the Minnesota Vikings at Soldier Field—a loss that echoed the heartbreaks of seasons past.
The curtain rose on a new chapter in Chicago Bears history Monday night, but the ending felt like déjà vu. As the game went on, the Bears started to sputter as a whole while the Vikings took full advantage of the Bears' miscues and missed opportunities.
The defense, which was missing both cornerbacks Kyler Gordon and Jaylon Johnson, and linebacker T.J. Edwards, pressured McCarthy and limited the Vikings to just two field goals while sacking him three times in the first half.
The offense, Johnson's bread and butter, started strong as quarterback Caleb Williams scrambled 9 yards for a touchdown on their opening possession. After taking a 10-6 lead at halftime, the team even led 17-6 in the third quarter after cornerback Nashon Wright intercepted Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy's pass and returned 74 yards for a touchdown. The excitement was at a fever pitch. This Bears team was different.
But the Bears started slow in the second half and were plagued by penalties. While some were very questionable, it completely stalled their momentum. The Bears committed 12 penalties for 127 yards, most of them being pre-snap penalties by offense, which was completely unacceptable.
As they stumbled, their lead evaporated when McCarthy led the Vikings to a 21-point turnaround in the second half, including a 14-yard touchdown run that sealed the game.
The defense also started to lose steam as the pass rush became nonexistent. McCarthy, who began terribly in the first half, rose to the occasion in the second half and started to find superstar wideout Justin Jefferson, including a 13-yard touchdown pass early in the fourth quarter that changed the momentum of the game.
The Bears' loss seems all too familiar to many frustrated fans
This loss stings many fans because it mirrors the kind of late-game collapses that have haunted the Bears for years. Johnson was humbled in his head coaching debut. As the game progressed, the frustration appeared on Johnson's face as the entire team crumbled. He also faces greater scrutiny now as a head coach.
With 8:55 remaining in the second quarter, Bears quarterback Caleb Williams misfired on a pass to wide receiver DJ Moore on fourth down. Johnson could have taken the points and extended the lead to 10-3. Known for his offensive wizardry with the Detroit Lions, they were aggressive on fourth downs during his tenure. It helped that the Lions' head coach, Dan Campbell, was aggressive. But now that Johnson is a head coach, he must answer them.
He saw Williams slowly regress despite a strong start and was outplayed by McCarthy, who outplayed Williams, and won in his first professional start after missing the entire rookie season with a torn minuscus. That had to sting for both Williams, who regressed by missing or overthrowing passes in the second half, and Johnson, who has to deal with how long of a leash Williams will be if he does not show significant improvement moving forward.
Read more: Caleb Williams didn't quite light the world on fire in Bears' loss to Vikings
Johnson now heads to Detroit and faces his former team on a short week. He not only has to deal with Monday night's setback, but he now faces the challenge of instilling resilience in a team that has talent but lacks the killer instinct. Monday night was a sobering reminder that culture change doesn’t happen overnight. While the optimism remains intact, it ended with a familiar ache for many Bears fans.