The Chicago Bears are headed to the postseason as NFC North champions and the No. 2 seed, but their final game of the regular season made sure there would be no sense of comfort following them into the playoffs.
A 19-16 loss to the Detroit Lions on Sunday night sealed by Jake Bates’ 42 yard field goal as time expired delivered exactly the kind of reminder Bears head coach Ben Johnson believes teams need before playoff football begins.
“We’re turning the page,” Johnson said afterward. “We’ve got a new season on the horizon.”
For Johnson and the Bears, that “new season” is the playoffs, where the regular season resume stops mattering and every team starts from the same place. One loss and you’re done.
A clean slate
GettyBears WR Luther Burden III
Ben Johnson has been consistent all season in how he views postseason football. Once January arrives, the margins shrink, the mistakes multiply, and the game simplifies. Blocking. Tackling. Catching the football. Protecting it. Taking it away.
“These are the things that show up the most when the lights are the brightest,” Johnson said. “There’s no secret sauce.”
The Bears’ Week 18 loss highlighted that reality. Cause while Chicago showed some fight by erasing a 16 point fourth quarter deficit, they also left their fair share of points and possessions on the field. But in Johnson’s eyes, that Lions game was a warning rather than a setback.
Accountability without panic
GettyBears QB Caleb Williams
One of Ben Johnson’s defining traits this season has been his willingness to call things out without letting them linger. He confirmed that he addressed the Chicago Bears offense immediately after the Lions loss, and he didn’t sugarcoat it.
“These guys are pros,” Johnson said. “I didn’t tell them anything they didn’t already know. The standard is very high.”
At the same time, he was adamant there would be no extended dwelling. With a short week and a third meeting looming against Green Bay, the message is correction, then forward motion.
“We’ll make our corrections and then quickly turn the page,” Johnson said. “We don’t have time to sulk.”
When asked about Caleb Williams entering his first NFL playoff game, Johnson offered perhaps his most confident answer of the night.
“He was built for these moments,” Johnson said. “He just needs to be him.”
Williams finished Sunday with 212 passing yards and two touchdowns, capping a historic regular season for the rookie quarterback where he broke Erik Kramer’s long standing franchise passing record.
Now, Caleb Williams leads the Bears into a Wild Card matchup with their oldest rival as Chicago and Green Bay will meet in the postseason for just the third time.
Both teams know each other. Both teams know what’s at stake. And after Sunday night, the Chicago Bears know something else too… The margin for error is gone.
They’ve earned the seed. They’ve earned the stage. But as Ben Johnson made clear, none of it carries over.
“The season’s not over,” he said. “It’s just starting.”
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Bears Receive Blunt Reality Check From Ben Johnson Ahead of Playoffs appeared first on Heavy Sports.