Ben Johnson’s first game as head coach of the Chicago Bears ended with a decision that many fans and analysts are still talking about — just not in a good way.
Down 3 points to the Vikings with just over two minutes left in the game, Bears kicker Cairo Santos kicked it inbounds. Not out of bounds, not a surprise onside — just straight down the field. The Vikings gladly drained the clock, and by the time Caleb Williams and the offense got the ball again, there were nine seconds and zero hope.
Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune revealed that a rival GM texted him almost immediately after the game. According to Biggs, the GM was stunned that Chicago hadn’t just kicked the ball out of bounds.
NFL GM & Peyton Manning Have Similar Comments on Bears HC Ben Johnson’s Debut vs. Vikings
GettyPeyton Manning didn’t see the logic in Ben Johnson and the Bears’ decisions vs. the Vikings Week 1.
“I get a text from a GM with another team, shoot, before I even left the press box last night, (and he) wanted to know why they didn’t just kick the football out of bounds,” Biggs said in a September 9 appearance on 670 The Score’s Mully & Haugh.
“Kick the football out of bounds. The clock doesn’t start. It’s five yards, but you remove any possibility of the ball being returned into play and the clock going past the two minute warning. Kick the ball out of bounds, Minnesota ball at the 40 yard line. This guy (the GM) was out of his mind that they had not elected to just drill the ball.”
Peyton Manning, calling the game for ESPN, echoed that disbelief on air.
“Kick it out of bounds. Take the penalty, it’s on the 40. Now you’ve got the timeout and the two-minute warning,” Manning said (h/t Pro Football Talk). “Out of bounds. Not out of the end zone, out of bounds.”
“I just don’t know if I have time to be the Bears’ analytics guy and do this show,” Manning also quipped.
Johnson Has Taken Responsibility for His Early Mistakes
Johnson later explained the plan was for a touchback, hoping to keep Minnesota pinned at the 25 while preserving both the two-minute stoppage and a timeout. But when the kick was returnable, the plan collapsed.
What makes Johnson’s situation complicated is that he’s not just calling plays; he’s walking into an environment where every misstep feels like confirmation the Bears haven’t changed.
Still, it’s worth noting how Johnson handled the moment. He didn’t duck any questions and didn’t hide behind any vague excuses. He explained his thought process and admitted the execution went wrong. That’s accountability, and it matters. Plenty of coaches have made the same kind of mistake in Year 1, and the best ones are the ones who learn quickly from it.
Bears fans deserve their frustration — they’ve been through the gamut in recent decades. But a bad decision or two in Week 1 shouldn’t define Johnson. What will define him is whether or not he can learn from those mistakes and turn his lessons into results.
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