Bears’ Ben Johnson says his team was ‘a mess’ in win over Raiders
LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — For the first time since the season opener, Chicago Bears coach Ben Johnson disliked much of what he saw from his team. That changed near the very end of Sunday’s game against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Johnson couldn’t complain about the result: a flawed 25-24 victory sealed by Josh Blackwell’s blocked field goal in the final minute, after the Bears offense struggled throughout and the defense failed to stop the run. After improving to 2-2 with the franchise’s 800th victory, the Bears now have a bye week to try to fix their huge issues.
“When you look at it as a whole, it was just… it was a mess, man,” Johnson said Monday. “I’m just not proud of what we put on tape. I think it was a reflection of myself. I always take it personally. I saw us getting better the first three weeks and in a lot of ways on offense, and this was just a little bit of a step back for us.”
The Bears ran for only 2.7 yards per carry while giving up 7.7 yards per rush. They couldn’t block Maxx Crosby and made adjustments by switching tackles: pulling left-side starter Braxton Jones and inserting rookie Ozzy Trapilo into the lineup at right tackle while moving Theo Benedet to left tackle.
What Did Work
Caleb Williams shone in comeback mode. His 22-of-37 effort for 212 yards included a final drive that led to D’Andre Swift’s go-ahead 2-yard touchdown run in the final two minutes. Williams’ clutch performance made up for defensive flaws and running game trouble.
“End of the day, the most important thing is limiting the opposing offense in the number of points scored,” Johnson said. “If that means that we’re giving up some rushing yards but yet we’re keeping them low on the scoreboard, we’ll manage with that. No one likes seeing 6 yards, 7 yards per carry. That’s not what Chicago Bears football is about. That’s not what we want to be about. So we’re working very diligently on getting better in that regard.”
The pass coverage couldn’t have been better. Two interceptions by safety Kevin Byard, another by cornerback Tyrique Stevenson, and holding the Raiders to just 2 of 8 on third down highlighted the Bears’ defensive depth—especially as they played without starting cornerbacks Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon.
Going into Monday night’s games, Chicago’s defense was the best in the NFL on third down, allowing opponents to convert only 29.3% of the time.
What Needs Help
The defensive line struggled to stop the run and didn’t record a sack against Geno Smith. The Bears allowed rookie Ashton Jeanty to rush for 138 yards, including a 64-yard touchdown. They were playing without defensive tackle Grady Jarrett (knee) and linebacker T.J. Edwards (hamstring).
Stock Up
Williams was solid in the two-minute offense. He drove the Bears 37 yards to a field goal at the end of the first half and then orchestrated the winning touchdown drive.
“So it’s almost like that little bit of pressure you put on him, he just thrives in and he really excels,” Johnson said. “That’s been consistent ever since we came into this building. So I’m not surprised it turned out that way. He was really good at the end of the first half. He was really good at the end of the game.”
Stock Down
Jones was pulled at halftime, even though the Bears allowed just one sack. It’s not clear whether starting right tackle Darnell Wright will return from an arm injury for Chicago’s next game, or if Trapilo or the undrafted Benedet will start again.
Jones has been a starter since he was a fifth-round rookie in 2022 and is a free agent after this season.
Injuries
There were no new injuries reported, but rookie tight end Colston Loveland missed the game due to a hip injury. He had been listed as questionable.
Key Number: 658
Rushing yards allowed by the Bears through four games. Chicago ranks last in the NFL against the run. The Raiders rushed for 240 yards—the most the Bears had allowed since giving up 265 yards to Detroit on Jan. 1, 2024.
Next Steps
After the bye, the Bears play at Washington on Monday, Oct. 13.
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