The Chicago Bears received a facelift this offseason after replacing the fired Matt Eberflus with Ben Johnson. Johnson’s former employer, the Detroit Lions, climbed out of a similar situation at the bottom of the NFC North standings when Dan Campbell was hired back in 2021, and the early returns have brought accountability and an attention to detail to The Windy City.
But while things feel different during training camp, it’s unknown whether the Bears will actually look different when they open the season against the Minnesota Vikings on Sept. 8. The first test has come as Chicago has hosted a pair of joint practices against different teams and the latest round against the Buffalo Bills may be validating the changes Johnson has made.
We’re an hour into practice and it feels like the Bills have matched the intensity of the Bears quicker than we saw from Miami last week.
— Courtney Cronin (@CourtneyRCronin) August 15, 2025
Bears Force Bills to Match Their Intensity During Joint Practice
The Bears hosted the second joint practice of the week as they prepared to face the Buffalo Bills on Sunday night. While Chicago is still a work in progress, one of the things they have mastered is practicing with intensity. ESPN’s Courtney Cronin noted the Bills stepped up their intensity on the second day of practice, and it could be a sign that this isn’t the same team from a year ago.
One of the Bears’ biggest issues last season was that they could easily be defeated. While they went 4-2 in their first six games, Chicago went on a 10-game losing streak headlined by a lackluster energy from Eberflus’s staff. Eberflus and offensive coordinator Shane Waldron were two noticeable dismissals during the skid, but the Bears rebounded to finish the year strong with a win over the Green Bay Packers in the regular season finale.
Johnson was the first key move before Joe Thuney, Jonah Jackson, Drew Dalman, and Grady Jarrett were notable additions this spring. A few months later, the Bears got to work, and Johnson has coached his new team hard in the same way that Campbell has in Detroit.
Several beat writers noticed the physicality of Johnson’s practices and the method has already been successful elsewhere after the Lions dominated the Miami Dolphins in joint practices this week. If Chicago can keep their newfound attitude, it should be able to put a few more notches in the win column and climb the NFC North standings this season.