The Chicago Bears returned to Soldier Field to begin a new era.
It looked like it was going to start on the right foot. The Bears had a 17-6 lead in the fourth quarter against a Vikings team that had 14 wins last season.
But, that came crashing down. Minnesota scored 21 unanswered points, including the final nail in the coffin on a 14-yard touchdown run by J.J. McCarthy.
Here are our takeaways from the season-opening loss to Minnesota on Monday Night Football to begin the Ben Johnson Era in Chicago.
The defense saved a dismal middle-eight
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The Bears went up 10-3 in the middle-eight part of the game, which is the four minutes between the end of the second quarter and the beginning of the third.
That’s when the Vikings went down and added a quick field goal before halftime. It was 10-6. A quick three-and-out by the Bears’ offense gave the Vikings the ball and momentum back.
The Vikings got to the Bears’ 26-yard line. They were threatening to take the lead.
That’s when the Bears’ defense stood tall. Pressure in JJ McCarthy’s face led to a throw that was too early and too short to Justin Jefferson. That’s when Nahshon Wright nabbed it and raced 74 yards to the house.
Coincidentally, it’s the second consecutive season opener with a pick-six.
The pressure was on the Vikings from the get-go. They took advantage of Christian Darrisaw’s absence.
That put the Bears’ up 17-6 in the third quarter. It set the Bears up perfectly for one more, well-timed knockout blow. The offense never had that blow, and it kept the defense on the field until they got worn out.
Bears’ offense sputters
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The Bears’ offense has more touchdowns on its first drive of the game in 2025 than it had in all of 2024. That came on the first drive of the game Monday. Williams led a 10-play march to the end zone, where he scrambled in for a nine-yard score.
After that, the Bears’ offense managed three more points. They had another shot at a field goal, but Cairo Santos missed a 50-yard field goal that would have made it 20-6.
The Vikings made it 17-12, and the Bears’ offense nearly gave Andre Van Ginkel a walk-in touchdown on a screen play that Van Ginkel read perfectly.
This offense was always going to be a work in progress, but the Bears, frankly, aren’t used to playing with a lead. They needed one more sustained drive for the kill shot.
A 24-6 lead would have put the Vikings in pass-first mode, and the Bears could have feasted on a rookie quarterback with a backup left tackle.
Instead, the Bears’ offense struggled to get any kind of points. It was how the Vikings pushed ahead 20-17 in the fourth quarter with a first-year starting quarterback.
Williams could have let the ball rip earlier and put the Vikings to bed. But, Johnson’s offense didn’t have any go-to plays to move into Minnesota territory. There were no roll-out tosses to the tight ends. There was no rhythm. That’s where the Vikings took advantage.
The ’85 Bears remain kings of Chicago
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At halftime, the Bears honored the 40th anniversary of the 1985 Chicago Bears team, one of the best teams to ever play in the NFL.
Jim McMahon, Otis Wilson, Wilbur Marshall, Matt Suhey, Mike Singletary, Ron Rivera, Jimbo Covert, Richard Dent and more were honored. Connie Payton and Missy McMichael were present for the late Walter Payton and Steve McMichael.
The lesser-known ’85 Bears got their time in the spotlight, too. It was a reminder of how long it’s been since the Bears won a Super Bowl, but it was also a reminder of how transcendent that team was 40 years after their Super Bowl.
That core of players would be the first to tell you they should have won more Super Bowls. But, it’s an example of how hard it is to win even one.
This city has the Jordan Era, the 2016 Cubs’ Game 7 clincher, the 2005 White Sox playoff run and the Sky’s improbable 16-and-16-to-Title team. Perhaps
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