Bears’ Jaylon Johnson: Feet getting tangled with Christian Watson on long gain a ‘B.S. play’

The Bears defense needed one more stop Sunday to try to lock down a win.

Instead, they gave up a 60-yard completion to Packers receiver Christian Watson.

Trailing by five with 3:40 to play, the Packers, who had the ball at their own 26, ran Watson on an over route on second-and-six. Cornerback Jaylon Johnson, who was chasing Watson in man coverage, got his legs tangled with the receiver before the ball was thrown and fell to the ground. Watson dove to catch the pass at the Packers’ 46, got up and ran to the Bears’ 14.

It was the second-longest play the Bears had allowed all season.

“You have to maximize your opportunities when they come,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said. “And he certainly did that.”

Eberflus challenged the play, saying the Bears “thought the ball hit the ground and the hand was on the side.” Officials upheld the catch, and the Packers scored the go-ahead touchdown two plays later.

Packers quarterback Jordan Love found Watson four times for 150 yards and finished 13-for-17 for 261 yards, one touchdown, one interception and a 113 passer rating.

Johnson was still upset after the game.

“My feet are way too good to trip over the ground,” Johnson said. “I tripped over his foot. … It’s a B.S. play.”

It would go down in rivalry lore had the Bears not done anything more preposterous 3:02 later: having Cairo Santos’ 46-yard field goal blocked.

Slot cornerback Kyler Gordon said the ball moved in Watson’s arms the same way it did in Houston when officials reviewed what he thought was a pick-six. That was ruled incomplete.

Defensive end DeMarcus Walker called Johnson “the best DB I’ve played with,” and attributed the play to bad luck. He disagreed with the ruling that he caught the ball.

“When he went down the ball moved …” he said. “Obviously things change every week when it comes to NFL officiating.”

This and that

• Fox announcer Tom Brady spoke with Bears rookie Caleb Williams and other quarterbacks from both teams at midfield about an hour before kickoff. Brady and Williams had met before, at the NFL’s Rookie Premiere event in May.

• Left guard Ryan Bates suffered a concussion during the first drive and was replaced by Jake Curhan, who hadn’t played a regular-season snap at guard since 2022.

• Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander, a two-time Pro Bowl player, left the game in the second quarter with a knee injury and did not return.

• Speaking on the team’s official pregame show, general manager Ryan Pace said it was “just time” for the team to cut Nate Davis on Wednesday, saying “it wasn’t working out the way that it was supposed to.” He also cast some doubt as to whether Jaquan Brisker would return from his concussion by the end of the season.