Most analysts and fans agreed that the Chicago Bears were one of the biggest winners of the offseason. Fast forward through the 2025 NFL season's first two weeks, and it seems like that might not be the case at all.
While they laid the ground to be one of the most improved teams in the league, the Bears are 0-2 after two games. More worryingly, their defense has regressed, and their offense continues to show some of the same miscues of the Matt Eberflus era.
With that in mind, head coach Ben Johnson made sure to send a message to all players after the loss to the Detroit Lions. As pointed out by 670 The Score's Chris Emma, the first-year head coach is trying to shake things up ahead of Week 3.
Ben Johnson Wants Bears to Compete After 0-2 Start
"We're going to have a lot more competition. Just what these guys look like when the ball is not in their hands, that's a big deal for us," Johnson said. "There were some plays (Sunday) that we weren't quite as pleased with what that looked like on tape. So, we're 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 here going into Sunday."
The Bears gave up 21 points in the fourth quarter of their Week 1 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. Kevin O'Connell coached circles around defensive coordinator Dennis Allen, who failed to make adjustments.
Now, after giving up 52 points, not recording a single sack, and allowing Jared Goff to complete 23 of 28 passes for 334 passing yards and five passing touchdowns, the Bears' DC should be on thin ice and under a lot of pressure to get it together.
The Bears will host a Dallas Cowboys team in Week 3 that just put up 40 points; however, they also gave up 37 to a New York Giants team with Russell Wilson at the helm. The opportunity is there for the taking, and the Bears need to make a statement.
Johnson was supposed to be an offensive guru. He proved that in his three years as the architect of one of the most explosive and creative offenses in the league. He has a plethora of weapons at his disposal again, so it's time to make the most of them.
As questionable as Johnson's decision-making has been, execution has also been subpar. The players need to show some pride and prove that they also care. Otherwise, the Bears' front office will have to have some awkward conversations about some of their veterans.