\n<\/p>\n
The last time the Bears were coming off a loss, rookie coach Ben Johnson challenged his team to be on point in practice during the week and on Sunday against the Cowboys after losing to the Lions 52-21 at Ford Field in Week 2.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re going to have a lot more competition,\u201d Johnson said the Monday after that game. \u201cThere were some plays [against the Lions] that we weren\u2019t quite as pleased with what that looked like on tape, so we\u2019re going to find out this week at practice who wants to practice hard and who wants to be a little bit more involved with the game plan [against the Cowboys].\u201d<\/p>\n
If he was saying that publicly, you can be pretty certain Johnson\u2019s private admonishment in team meetings at Halas Hall was much harsher. And his team responded with a complete game \u2014 scoring two first-quarter touchdowns for an early lead and containing Dak Prescott and the Cowboys\u2019 offense (with the aid of CeeDee Lamb\u2019s first quarter injury) in a 31-14 victory at Soldier Field.<\/p>\n
Johnson will look for a similar response on Sunday when the Bears face the Bengals at Paycor Stadium following a disappointing 30-16 loss to the Ravens at M&T Stadium in Baltimore last week. Johnson knows his team isn\u2019t going to win every game in his first year, but losing to Tyler Huntley isn\u2019t the same as losing to Lamar Jackson and \u2014 after seven games \u2014 Johnson felt the sting of that disappointment and challenged his team again.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe didn\u2019t get the takeaways [against the Ravens] and when you play ugly football like that, it\u2019s a lot more difficult to win the ballgame,\u201d Johnson said Monday. \u201cWe\u2019re on a mission this week to get this all cleaned up and I have complete confidence that we\u2019ll do that.\u201d<\/p>\n
This game is all about the Bears responding to their coach. It\u2019s about focus and discipline and avoiding the penalties that have plagued this team in every game.<\/p>\n
The Bears are in a formative state in Johnson\u2019s first season. From Caleb Williams on down, there have been red flags and magic moments, but nothing defining. The ETA on this team is \u201cpending\u201d until further notice.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s always the chance this team grows up quickly in the second half of the season. But despite the week-to-week scrutiny that can be suffocating, most judgments on Johnson, Williams and the Bears are premature until Year 2.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s when Johnson will have had a full year to assess his roster and make necessary changes. In Johnson\u2019s first season as the Lions\u2019 offensive coordinator in 2022, the offense improved from 25th to fifth in scoring, and the Lions still fortified their offensive weaponry \u2014 drafting running back Jahmyr Gibbs and tight end Sam LaPorta and signing running back David Montgomery in free agency.<\/p>\n
The game against the Bengals won\u2019t be defining either way. But it will be another test of Johnson\u2019s command. It was evident after the loss to the Lions. It was evident after the bye, when the Bears focused on the offense opening holes for the running game \u2014 and D\u2019Andre Swift rushed for 108 yards on 14 carries in a victory over the Commanders.<\/p>\n
After the \u201cugly\u201d performance against the Ravens, Johnson put it on the players making themselves accountable to clean it up.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s what they\u2019re doing right now,\u201d Johnson said. \u201cSo we\u2019re going to be just fine.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n