On Sunday night at Levi’s Stadium, the Chicago Bears came up just two yards short. A wild 42-38 loss to the San Francisco 49ers slipped away late. It would have been their seventh fourth-quarter comeback this season. Instead, they walked away stunned. And right after the dust settled, head coach Ben Johnson sent a clear message inside the locker room.

“I’ve got immense amounts of trust for everybody, for everybody on the offense right now,” Johnson revealed his trust in the locker room while speaking to the media. “It’s just every week you just see them go about their business, and I’m not going to call play that I don’t fully believe in, that we’re not going to execute at the highest level. And so we’ll always, if we go down, we’re going to go down swinging like that.”

Earlier, the game finally tilted Chicago’s way late. With 5:22 left, the Bears kicked a field goal. However, the Bay Area answered fast. Brock Purdy stepped up. He fired a 38-yard pass to Jauan Jennings with 2:15 remaining. Just like that, the Niners had the edge again, and the Faithful were roaring.

Still, Johnson never hid behind his players. In fact, he did the opposite. On the final snap, Caleb Williams escaped pressure and rolled left. He threw into traffic for Jahdae Walker. The ball hit the turf, and the game was over. Afterward, Johnson owned it. He made it clear that the failure started with him, not the huddle.

“We didn’t quite get aligned in the formation we wanted to,” Johnson told reporters after the game. “That’s on me. I didn’t get him in the call fast enough, so he’s trying to piecemeal it together. I got to do a better job with that.”

Before that moment, the Bears had marched. They covered 63 yards and burned the clock with fifteen plays. Then it stalled. At the Niners’ 2-yard line, D’Andre Swift was dropped on a hook and ladder. Two yards short. They spiked it with four seconds left. That was the margin.

Now, the Bears sit at 11-5. The loss ends their chase for the NFC’s top seed. Still, the season is not done. Next week, Johnson wants one thing. Finish strong and end the regular season with a win.

Ben Johnson wants to win in Week 18

Ben Johnson’s team clinched the NFC North regardless, still, seeding matters. Chicago sits as the No. 2 seed. The top spot is gone. However, the Eagles are lurking. And nobody in the locker room wants to give Philly any opening before January.

Because of that, the message from Ben Johnson stayed sharp. There is still work to do. With Detroit coming to town for the finale, the stakes remain real. So, Johnson said it straight after the loss. “We’re playing to win this week,” Johnson said in post-game.

Beyond seeding, pride is also on the line. The Lions are not just another opponent. They are a division rival, and top of that, Chicago does not want to limp into the playoffs on a two-game slide. Plus, Week 3 still lingers. Detroit embarrassed the Bears 52-21. That memory has not faded. Revenge does not need to be said. It is already understood.

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However, there is some injury concerns. So yes, caution matters. If things get out of hand, starters likely sit. Still, Johnson don’t want to waved the white flag now.

However, the bigger picture still shines bright. The Bears just claimed their first division crown since 2018. That is real progress. They are also chasing their first playoff win since January 2011. That hunger is alive, and the mood is not broken. So now, all eyes turn to Week 18, and let’s see how they answer.