LAKE FOREST, Ill. (104.3 The Score) — When the lights go out inside the quiet quarters of Halas Hall and the film projection takes over the screen, there's no scoreboard for the Bears to see.
Bears head coach Ben Johnson and his staff then deliver harsh, honest critiques of each play and player, paying no mind to what the final score suggested about their most recent performance.
"To a stranger coming to the building, you wouldn't know any different between a win or a loss," Johnson said.
Early Wednesday afternoon, the Bears reconvened at their facility to review their 34-17 win over the Seahawks on Monday. Many outsiders viewed the Bears’ win over the reigning Super Bowl champions as a statement victory, but Johnson shot that notion down, emphasizing his football team is simply building toward better.
The players echoed Johnson’s sentiment as they’ve embraced the mindset of improvement. It has been that way ever since Johnson arrived in Chicago in early 2025.
"I think actually when we win sometimes, our meetings are a lot more harsh than when we lose," Bears quarterback Caleb Williams said. "The good games or the wins hide the truth, they hide the bad.
"That's our identity. Whether it's good or bad, we're going to be harsh on ourselves."
The Bears currently sit at 6-2, their best start since 2012, and are being billed as a Super Bowl contender. On Sunday, they’ll play their third straight primetime game as they welcome the Buccaneers (3-5) to Soldier Field.
"I honestly didn't even know we were 6-2," Bears linebacker D'Marco Jackson said.
"Like, truthfully, I didn't know that. My head is looking straight at Tampa."
Halas Hall has rarely carried such a high standard, but that’s what Johnson has instilled for his Bears. And he isn’t afraid to hold anyone accountable. In the Bears’ win over the Jets on Oct. 4, Johnson benched lead running back D’Andre Swift – who was weeks removed from a lucrative contract extension – for most of the second half after he fumbled in the third quarter. Johnson deemed that particular fumble to be “egregious.”
During OTAs in spring 2025 as Johnson and his team were getting to work together for the first time, Johnson yelled into the veteran tight end Cole Kmet’s facemask about details. Even the 24-year-old Williams, the face of this franchise, is constantly pushed by Johnson in their meetings. Williams embraces it.
"We're going to be truth tellers," Williams said.
Johnson is only interested in making a statement as Super Bowl champions. The Bears have a long way to go in order to achieve that.
"We got to keep winning," Johnson said. "We’ve got to win each and every week. We got to go 1-0 this week. That’s all we care about. That’s all we’ve talked about for the last year-and-a-half in this building, and that doesn’t change no matter what our record is and what’s happened previously. We’re going to go right back to work. We’re going to prepare just like we’ve been doing.
"I believe in the coaching staff, I believe in the players, I believe in our process. And our process is one of hard work and belief. That’s what we just continue to hone into."
Emma's prediction (4-4): Bears 30, Buccaneers 16
I picked against the Bears in Seattle. I'm not sure when I'll pick against them next. This team is capable of beating anybody – that much has been made clear. The Bears will get another win in primetime at Soldier Field.
Chris Emma covers the Bears and the Chicago sports scene for 104.3 The Score.
