The Chicago Bears got their first win of the Ben Johnson era, and for at least the next week, fans are happy. Getting that first win is a big step, and Johnson's Bears looked good in the victory, even if it was against a Cowboys defense that has been hilariously bad through the first three games.
The Bears can only play who's on their schedule, though, and it was their turn to beat up on the Cowboys' defense. It was an important win for the team and one that had broadcaster Louis Riddick feeling good about the state of the Chicago Bears moving forward.
"Chicago's trending the right way. Ben Johnson will get that place going and he will get Caleb [Williams] going and he will even out his performances," Riddick said on The Dan Patrick Show. before shifting gears to discussing the Bears defense "We know Dennis Allen is a very good defensive coordinator. He's always been a good defensive coordinator. If I'm betting on anybody of [the Bears and Cowboys], I'm for sure putting my money on Chicago."
Louis Riddick delivers hopeful message about Bears after big Week 3 win
While the first two games were difficult to stomach after all of the hype the Bears received in the offseason, the fact of the matter is that we're still very much in the early stages of the Ben Johnson era. He was never going to turn this team around overnight, but the team that beat up on Dallas did precisely what they were supposed to do, and that's a major victory for this squad.
Riddick's comments about Dennis Allen are also important because, so far, the Bears' defense has struggled. Allen has a history of being a tremendous defensive coordinator, though, and, much like Johnson with the overall team, he won't be able to change a defense overnight. It's going to take some time, and if anyone can right the defensive ship, it's Allen.
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The next four games on the Bears' schedule are against the Raiders, Commanders, Saints, and Ravens. The realistic record for Chicago by the end of that stretch is 3-4 with wins against the Raiders and Saints, but we'll learn a lot about Johnson and this team over the next month. Let's hope Riddick is onto something here, though, because we can all confirm that winning is more fun than losing.