CHICAGO (670 The Score) — Under new head coach Ben Johnson's guidance, the Bears on Monday picked up right where they left off in 2024. They unraveled in blowing an 11-point lead in the fourth quarter of a 27-24 loss to the Vikings at Soldier Field.
Here are observations from the Bears’ loss in their season opener.
Sputtering offense continues a troubling trend
For a moment in time Monday evening, it felt like the Bears had arrived under Johnson’s watch.
The Bears opened the game on defense and forced a quick three-and-out. Then the Chicago offense took the field and steadily marched down the field.
The Bears had a 10-play, 61-yard touchdown drive that was capped by quarterback Caleb Williams’ nine-yard scoring run. Williams was 6-for-6 on the first drive and in complete control.
From there, the Bears’ offense regressed on a night filled with struggles. On their next nine drives, the Bears' offense produced just one score — a field goal in the second quarter. Williams was 21-of-35 for 211 yards in the game with a late touchdown pass to receiver Rome Odunze. Notably, Williams was erratic with his accuracy as the game wore on.
The Bears also dealt with a miserable night of penalties, logging 12 infractions for 127 yards total. That continued a trend.
“That's got to get cleaned up in a hurry, yet we've been saying that all training camp,” Johnson said with frustration in his voice. “We'll find a way to get that done. It's going to be a collective effort.”
Throughout training camp, the Bears offense struggled to move the football in large part due to its own self-inflicted wounds. Williams has had accuracy issues, the offensive line has committed too many penalties and drives have stalled.
It was no surprise the Bears’ best success on offense Monday came on the opening script from Johnson and then in tempo late in the game. Both of those drives ended in touchdowns.
The Bears' offensive struggles could continue as they work to learn all the details of Johnson's system and to correct mistakes that have persisted. For now, be prepared to buckle up for a rocky ride.
Defense falters late
For three quarters, the Bears were dominant on defense.
New Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen was dictating the matchup, with his scheme frustrating Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy in his first NFL start. Chicago's defense was riding the energy inside Soldier Field and playing inspired football.
Then, the fourth quarter started. The Vikings reeled off 21 unanswered points against the Bears, whose defense came back down to earth.
The Bears’ defense should be a strength this season, but they were missing Pro Bowl cornerback Jaylon Johnson, nickelback Kyler Gordon and linebacker T.J. Edwards on Monday. What was especially concerning for the Bears was how their run defense crumbled. The Vikings carried 26 times for 120 yards.
That was how the Bears’ run defense often looked in 2024, when it ranked 28th in the NFL. It’s a unit that didn’t appear improved in the season opener.
Perplexing kick
With Johnson in charge, the belief was the Bears wouldn't make so many questionable in-game coaching decisions. But the Bears made several of them Monday, with none being more confusing than their kickoff with 2:02 remaining in the game.
Trailing 27-24, the Bears had kicker Cairo Santos boot the ball deep, hoping that he could get it through the back of the end zone to keep the clock frozen at 2:02. The trouble was that Santos doesn't have a big leg. He pushed it seven yards deep into the end zone – three yards away from being an automatic touchback – but returner Ty Chandler wisely returned it out to the 26-yard line.
In doing so, Chandler milked the clock inside the two-minute warning, taking away a clock stoppage that the Bears hoped would hit after the Vikings ran their play on first-and-10. Instead, the Bears used their final timeout after the Vikings ran the ball on first-and-10.
Johnson explained that his hope was for Santos to kick the ball through the end zone and then have his defense get a three-and-out. He estimated the Bears could've taken the ball back with 56 seconds remaining. The Bears did get their three-and-out, but there were only nine seconds remaining in the game when they got the ball.
The Bears should’ve either kicked the ball out of bounds or short of the landing zone or attempted an onside kick.
Extra points
-- Soldier Field was once again buzzing for the much-anticipated opener. As fans filed out before the final whistle, there were loud boos.
--- I don’t fault Johnson for going for it on fourth-and-3 at the Vikings’ 24-yard line in the second quarter. He’s going to be aggressive and trust the analytics. It didn’t work out this time, but it's better to trust the process than blame the result.
--- Johnson motioning eligible tackle Theo Benedet was quite the look for the Bears offense.
-- New Bears defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo was a disruptive presence in his Chicago debut.
-- It was a night of highs and lows for Bears cornerback Nahshon Wright, who had a pick-six and a 42-yard pass interference penalty and was also picked on by the Vikings.
-- Everyone in Soldier Field had the same feeling of dread during the fourth quarter.
-- The Bears are on to Detroit, where the Lions are missing their former offensive coordinator.
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.