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Bears’ Ben Johnson stands by botched fatal 4th down call
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The Chicago Bears are riding high after their Week 1 win over the Carolina Panthers. Seeing as it was a 59-37 victory, you’d think things went perfectly for Chicago on offense.
Looking solely at the box score, the Bears dominated with the ball in their hands. They gained 552 yards of total offense and scored six rushing touchdowns. Quarterback Caleb Williams had two of them, throwing another pair of TD passes.
But there were still some speedbumps in the road. That is to be expected as it was Chicago’s first game of the season. The franchise is now focused on improving their mistakes and getting better in all three phases.
One of the Bears’ biggest mistakes came from head coach Ben Johnson himself. Although, Johnson is standing behind his peculiar decision.
Bears’ Ben Johnson takes bold fourth down gamble
Up 21-14 early in the second quarter, Chicago was faced with fourth-and-one on their own 21-yard line. Johnson decided to go for it with a Williams sneak. But the plan failed and the Panthers took over. They would score a touchdown three plays later.
Still, Johnson stands by his decision. Moving forward, he won’t be afraid to go for it on fourth down again, no matter how precarious. It’ll come down to the game and situation, via his postgame press conference.
” I feel pretty good about it,” Johnson said.
Ultimately, the Bears came out with a victory. Johnson can’t regret the decision too much. But it seems unlikely Chicago will average 59 points per game. The head coach will be strategic and poised if another tricky fourth down were to arise.
Furthermore, it wouldn’t be shocking to see the Bears continue building out their fourth down plan scheme wise. A Williams QB sneak seems the most likely with a yard to gain. But opponents will be ready for it if that’s Chicago’s only option.
Johnson and the Bears are sure to pull out plenty of tricks in 2026. The head coach is expecting his team to covert more often than not.
The post Bears’ Ben Johnson stands by botched fatal 4th down call appeared first on ChiCitySports.
