When he interviewed for the head coaching job that would eventually become his, Ben Johnson told [Bears](https://chicago.suntimes.com/bears) executives he wanted to stay in the NFC North to battle the best teams and coaches.
He got his wish. Johnson learned [Wednesday](https://chicago.suntimes.com/bears/2025/05/14/bears-nfl-schedule-release-day-thursday-tracker-caleb-williams-eagles-packers-fox-amazon) that he’ll make his head coaching debut Sept. 8 against the Vikings on “Monday Night Football.”
The opener, which will be at Soldier Field, won’t necessarily predict his coaching success or failure. For one, Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy figures to be more composed in the Bears’ Week 11 rematch than his first-ever NFL start. For another: openers lie. Marc Trestman won his first three games as Bears head coach — and then lost 19 of 29. Matt Eberflus won his first game as head coach — and then lost 32 of his next 45 games.
Other games will matter more when evaluating the Bears, whose opposing strength of schedule, .571, is tied for the second-toughest in the NFL. Here are five that could make or break their season:
### **Week 3 vs. Cowboys: Sept. 21, 3:25 p.m. on Fox**
Were quarterback Caleb Williams’ struggles last season the result of flaws in his game or the impossible situation into which his franchise thrust him? We’ll get an answer in Week 3 — ironically, with the help of the man who helped put the quarterback in such a tough spot as a rookie.
If there’s a book on Williams — a scouting report that other teams can follow to shut him down — then it stands to reason that Eberflus, the former Bears head coach and current Cowboys defensive coordinator, has it. He’s seen Williams more than any other NFL coach on the planet — or did until the Bears fired him after 12 games.
If Eberflus finds a way to dominate Williams, you can bet that every defensive coordinator in the league will try to follow that same blueprint.
### **Week 6 at Commanders: Monday, Oct. 13, 7:15 p.m. on ABC/ESPN**
The Bears return to the scene of last season’s collapse — when Eberflus allowed the Commanders to inch closer to Hail Mary range, Tyrique Stevenson taunted fans with his back turned toward the snap before misplaying Jayden Daniels’ heave and Noah Brown caught a 52-yard Hail Mary to win the game.
If the Bears want to show the world that they’re a different team, this is the place to start. But it’s also an important step for Williams, whose club was humiliated in his hometown last year. Williams was drafted No. 1 overall in 2024, Daniels No. 2. Daniels parlayed his Offensive Rookie of the Year season into an NFC title game berth, while Williams became the third-most sacked player in NFL history and watched his franchise fire his offensive coordinator and head coach.
The Bears will have extra time to prepare — they’re one of four teams with a Week 5 bye, the earliest in the NFL.
### **Week 13 at Eagles: Friday, Nov. 28, 2 p.m. on Amazon Prime Video**
General manager Ryan Poles spent the offseason revamping the team’s offensive line, trading for Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson and giving free agent center Drew Dalman $42 million over three years. He did not fix the Bears’ looming left tackle problem, watching as three were drafted ahead of the Bears’ selection at No. 10.
There will be no better test for the Bears’ line than a matchup against the Eagles, who used their dominant defensive front to bully their way to a Super Bowl. Pro Bowl defensive tackle Jalen Carter, whom the Bears didn’t draft in 2023 because of character concerns, will challenge the rebuilt interior of the Bears’ line.
### **Week 14 at Packers: Dec. 7, noon on Fox**
At his introductory press conference, Johnson said that he enjoyed beating Packers coach Matt LaFleur twice last season with the Lions. That got the attention of the Packers’ coach, who didn’t have a previous relationship with Johnson. LaFleur at first said Johnson was simply playing to the Bears’ fan base, but later took a jab at him, calling Johnson “a good football coach — as he said himself.”
For a rivalry that had turned bland the last decade, that’s a welcome dash of hot sauce. What makes the game critical, though, has more to do with what Johnson can come up with a whiteboard than a microphone.
The coach will have two extra days to prepare for his first-ever matchup in the NFL’s rivalry — and plenty of time to scheme up a way to attack a Packers team that made the playoffs last year on the backs of their defense. They allowed the sixth-fewest points and yards of any team last year.
Johnson knows the importance of tradition — and of symbolism. Beating the Packers would check both boxes.
**Week 18 vs. Lions: Jan 3 or 4, time and TV TBD**
Both teams will look a lot different in Week 18 than in their Week 2 matchup in Detroit. Johnson will have had almost a full season of head coaching experience under his belt, and the Lions’ two new coordinators will be able to say the same.
The Bears will be finishing a stretch of 13 consecutive games without a break. They could be worn out and eliminated from playoff contention.
If they’re not, though, the game becomes the most important of Johnson’s young coaching career — and the most meaningful game played at Soldier Field in five seasons.