The Chicago Bears host the Minnesota Vikings on Monday night, and there’s a good chance that temperatures will be running hot. The Bears are determined to improve on a 5-12 season, and going into an NFC North division that’s loaded with stars, they’ll be looking to make a statement against a Vikings team that went 14-3 last year.
With those storylines and more in place, it would be hard to blame the Bears if they’re excited about Monday’s matchup. But Thursday’s season-opening game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys provided a reminder not to be too excited, and it prompted a stern message from one of their coaches.
Bears Must Have ‘Controlled Fury’ in Season Opener vs. Vikings
Bears special teams coordinator Richard Hightower discussed Monday’s game right off the heels of Thursday’s penalty-marred season opener. While the Eagles and Cowboys caused flags to fly in that contest, Hightower maintained the importance of limiting skirmishes and penalties during their matchup with the Vikings.
“We want to make sure we always put the team first,” Hightower said via CHGO Bears. “...But still be ready to go out and play a violent game between the lines.”
Perhaps new head coach Ben Johnson could use a line from his mentor to deliver the message. When Johnson was the offensive coordinator with the Detroit Lions, Dan Campbell used the phrase “controlled fury” to describe his team after a controversial call wiped away a two-point conversion in a game against the Cowboys late in the 2023 season.
There wasn’t a lot of that as the Eagles and Cowboys combined for 13 penalties for 152 yards on Thursday night. Philadelphia specifically had a hard time channeling its emotions against a hated division rival, racking up nine calls for 110 yards, including a spitting incident that saw defensive tackle Jalen Carter get ejected six seconds into the game.
Adding to the chaos was a message delivered by the NFL this offseason that sportsmanship is a point of emphasis for officials this season. This is probably why Carter was ejected but could also leave the Bears penalized for something that wouldn’t have been called a year ago.
Chicago ranked tied for 16th with 110 penalties called last season, but it could be easy to let things get out of control in an early divisional matchup. That means this could get brought up one more time before the teams hit the field and the Bears look to start the season with a win on Monday night.