The Bears kicked off their season with a tough 27–24 loss to the Vikings, letting a 17–6 third-quarter lead slip away. Head coach Ben Johnson didn’t waste time pointing out what went wrong, and, surprisingly, much of the blame landed on his own staff. From penalties to play-calling, the cracks were hard to ignore. What he said next might raise even more eyebrows.

Johnson stood at the podium post-game, opening with a somber admission that set a tone of shared responsibility. “All right, obviously a disappointing way to start the season there for us. We just have a 17 to 6 lead and then see it go the way it did there in the fourth quarter.” He even echoed a pre-game mantra that now felt like a self-inflicted wound. “We said going into week one that the team that would make the least number of mistakes would win the game. And unfortunately, we were on the wrong side of that.”

For a moment, it sounded like a leader stepping up. He included himself, stating, “We made too many there…late in the game, myself included. There were a number of things that I could have done better.” But that brief moment of accountability was quickly overshadowed by criticism directed at his coaching staff.

He told @ESPN1000, “We let it get away from us…not good.” Focusing on the 12 penalties that disrupted their momentum, he added, “Looked like we were poorly coached.” It was a harsh and public criticism of his own staff. Although he said, “No one’s pointing fingers,” the blame was already clear.

Johnson seemed to be stressing that the team’s lack of discipline and execution wasn’t just on the players, it was a reflection of how the coaches prepared them. And while the defense held its ground, the offense faltered, and the Bears couldn’t close it out.

A defense left out to dry

The Bears’ defense, led by Dennis Allen, started strong and played with intensity for three quarters. Despite a 42-yard pass interference penalty, Nahshon Wright bounced back with a thrilling 74-yard interception return for a touchdown that fired up Soldier Field.

Rookie QB JJ McCarthy’s first NFL pass attempt was intercepted and returned 74 yards for a Bears touchdown. Ben Johnson later gave a nod to his defense for their early intensity and big plays. “The defense did a really good job up until the very end” Johnson said. He also acknowledged Bears quarterback Caleb Williams, who started strong and finished with 210 yards and a touchdown. “I thought Caleb played well to start the game,” he added.

The defense did its job for most of the game. Noah Sewell stepped up in place of TJ Edwards and played with high energy, making a key tackle that stopped a Vikings drive. The real problem was the Bears’ offense. It started strong with a touchdown but fell apart afterward, failing to support the team.

When asked about the stagnant offense, he offered a head-scratcher that was quickly captured by reporter Scott Blair on Twitter: Johnson stated, “The run game didn’t feel in rhythm as I was calling it.”

He himself pointed to the run game, saying, “It felt like we were behind the sticks most times,” living in “second and long and third and long… which was a struggle for us offensively.” Johnson’s first 15 plays were perfectly planned and gave the Bears a strong start. But after halftime, Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell made adjustments, and Johnson had no answer. The offense stalled, and he was clearly out-coached. As Johnson said, “No one’s going to feel sorry for us.” Especially not in Detroit next Sunday.