NFL
Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
One week after Ben Johnson’s Chicago Bears offense made a loud statement with 59 points, an ugly loss to the Minnesota Vikings has already sparked a blunt reaction from around the NFL.
The Bears scored just three points in their 9-3 home loss Sunday. They stalled (and fumbled) at the goal line, committed drive-killing penalties, had a 23-yard field goal blocked and could not consistently solve Brian Flores’ pressure-heavy defense.
For one NFL executive, it was the first real moment when Johnson’s outsized ambition became vulnerable to criticism.
“The Bears are entering into this world where it’s like Ben Johnson is constantly out over his skis and they have come through,” the executive told The Athletic’s Mike Sando. “Well, now, guess what? They got smacked in the face and scored three points. What does that mean?”
That is the question now facing Johnson.
NFL: Chicago Bears at Cincinnati Bengals
Aug 22, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson stands on the sidelines during the second half in the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Bears did not stumble into Week 2 unnoticed. Johnson spent the offseason speaking openly about a massive offensive vision, telling anyone who would listen that Chicago wanted to become the highest-scoring offense in NFL history. Then the Bears went to Carolina and looked like they might be ready to make good on it.
They scored 59 points, totaled 552 yards, rushed for 291 yards and reached the end zone eight times. The performance was not merely productive, but a declaration. Then came the most jarring possible correction.
The Vikings attacked Chicago from the opening series and never let the Bears find a rhythm. Flores blitzed quarterback Caleb Williams on roughly 80% of plays, depending on the outlet you use for your data. Johnson acknowledged afterward there were things he would have preferred to handle differently.
But Flores did not cause every problem.
The Bears repeatedly sabotaged themselves. They had 20 accepted penalties through two games, tied for the third-most in the NFL, with 12 coming on offense. In the second quarter against Minnesota, Chicago turned first-and-10 at the Vikings’ 30-yard line into fourth-and-29 after a brutal sequence of flags.
Johnson was direct when reviewing what hurt the Bears most.
“The penalties were a major factor, more so than the weather or anything other,” he said. “It was the penalties and things that we really hadn’t seen in practice. They showed up there on game day.”
The red-zone failures were worse. Chicago came away empty after reaching first-and-goal from the 1-yard line. It failed again after getting first-and-goal from the 6. Then, on the final possession, the Bears reached the Minnesota 12-yard line and had three plays to find the end zone but scored nothing.
“You start with a first-and-goal from the 1, a first-and-goal from the 6 and … three shots at the end of the game, and we end up getting zero points out of all three of those opportunities,” Johnson said. “That’s really the tale of the second half.”
It was not just the offense, either. The field-goal operation had a pair of high snaps, and the second led directly to Isaiah Rodgers blocking Cairo Santos’ 23-yard attempt. Johnson said the Bears noticed the warning signs on the first kick but still failed to correct the problem.
“That first field goal was a warning shot, as far as I’m concerned,” Johnson said. “Something we addressed on the sideline and we weren’t able to get corrected the second time. So [we’re] certainly in a race to get that right.”
2026 NFL Offense Rankings, Chicago Bears
Sep 21, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson talks with quarterback Caleb Williams (18) against the Dallas Cowboys during the second half at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images
That is a long list of problems for a team that looked untouchable seven days earlier. Still, Johnson does have defenders around the league. A second executive told Sando that the Bears’ Week 2 result should not be used to rewrite everything Chicago showed in Week 1.
“Ben’s schtick is what it is, and it works for him,” the executive said. “He wanted 60 points last week. He wants 38 a game. I’d be much more concerned if they had three points in a dome.”
That is the reasonable counterargument. The Bears faced an elite defensive coordinator in heavy rain, and one ugly game does not erase the team’s potential. But Johnson has deliberately put enormous goals on the board. That is part of what makes him compelling, and it is why an offense that scored three points will draw such intense scrutiny.
The Bears do not need to abandon their identity. They do need to prove that their historic-scoring talk can survive a physical, aggressive opponent, self-inflicted mistakes and a game that does not go according to plan.
That is Johnson’s next test — and it has nothing to do with Caleb Williams.