The Chicago Bears stunned much of the NFL world when they crushed the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football 27-7. What made it stand out was how they managed it with Case Keenum at quarterback, a third-string backup. Head coach Ben Johnson crafted a brilliant game plan, staying one step ahead of the Eagles all night. Could he do it again this week against the New York Jets? He certainly aimed to try, and even threw a wrinkle into the mix to make it more interesting. He went away from Keenum in favor of the primary backup, Tyson Bagent.
It was a bold decision, to say the least. Keenum has 67 starts in his NFL career. His experience towers over Bagent, who only started 4 games as a rookie in 2023. Why not just ride the hot hand? Johnson ignored the noise. He believed in Bagent and was rewarded for it. The young quarterback led the Bears to a 23-12 victory on Sunday. This marks only the second time in franchise history that a coach has won three games in a season with three different quarterbacks. The game wasn’t even as close as the final score says.
If not for two touchdowns being called back, it could’ve been a lot worse. Bagent wasn’t perfect, but he was good enough when it mattered.
Ben Johnson has silenced any remaining doubters.
Most people saw him as nothing more than an offensive wizard who held the title of head coach. Sure, his offense would put up points, but you need more than that to compete in the NFL. You need a complete football team playing at a high level. Well, where are those critics now? In the past three games, the Bears have allowed 9, 7, and 12 points on defense. Meanwhile, the offense is still putting up three-plus touchdowns every week despite not having its most dangerous offensive player in the lineup.
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That is what should terrify everybody. Ben Johnson is doing all of this through excellent coaching. When you cannot just win but win convincingly without your starting quarterback, that is the sign of a complete football team. The Bears have become something unrecognizable—a legitimate NFL contender. Injuries don’t derail them like they used to. When you have a top-of-the-line head coach, it becomes far easier to survive such setbacks. Have a backup quarterback? No problem. Run the ball for 235 yards. Lose your left tackle to a knee injury? Relax. Still hold the opponent to just one sack.
This team finally looks and feels like its head coach.
It was evident from the outset that Johnson was an intense and motivated individual. Nothing less than excellence would be accepted on his football team. That wasn’t just limited to the players, either. It was expected of everybody, including himself. Once that mindset began to percolate in the locker room, you saw the Bears start winning games they would’ve always lost under previous coaches. Coming into this season, expectations were that you’d finally see the team as Johnson wanted it.
Well, here it is. The Bears are 3-1, with all three victories being by double-digits. Each victory came with a different quarterback under center. Credit for that falls at the feet of Johnson. Yes, he is an offensive wizard. Just not only that anymore. He is a complete football coach and is pushing all the right buttons. Sunday’s win over the Jets was his mic-drop moment, removing any doubts about his ability to adapt.
