Ben Johnson sends ‘special’ message to Rams after heartbreaking loss

Ben Johnson was emotional as he praised his Chicago The Bears team after their heartbreaking 20-17 overtime loss at the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Divisional Round on Sunday night.

Johnson finished his first season as the Bears’ head coach, returning the franchise to the playoffs after a four-year drought. They enjoyed an 11-6 regular season success, securing the NFC North title for the first time since 2018. The team began the postseason in spectacular fashion after eliminating the division rival Green Bay Packers in the Wild Card round. However, their hopes of reaching the NFC Championship Game were dashed when the Rams kicked their game-winning field goal and sent Chicago home heartbroken.

Johnson reflected in the loss after the game, via Ari Meirov. He described it as a disappointing result but was proud of how his team continued to compete down the stretch.

“Disappointing result. Our guys are feeling it now. Everybody believed. They believed all year. … It was a special year. Hopefully this will be a feeling in this locker room that we can use as fuel moving forward,” Johnson said.

#Bears HC Ben Johnson on loss: “Disappointing result. Our guys are feeling it now. Everybody believed. They believed all year. … It was a special year. Hopefully this will be a feeling in this locker room that we can use as fuel moving forward.” https://t.co/ztvjvU174v pic.twitter.com/eekZGiPniB

— Ari Meirov (@MiSportsUpdate) January 19, 2026

As Ben Johnson did, the Bears performed against the Rams

Ben Johnson can be proud of how his first season as head coach turned out. There will be a chance to improve as you help the Bears take the next step as a serious contender.

Caleb Williams made a costly mistake in overtime that allowed Los Angeles to end Chicago’s playoff streak. Despite that, he made an all-out effort to keep Chicago in the game against Los Angeles. He completed 23 of 42 passes for 257 yards and two touchdowns and three interceptions while adding five rushes for 40 yards.

D’Andre Swift had a decent night on offense, collecting 19 carries for 76 yards. Colston Loveland led the offense with four catches for 56 yards. DJ Moore was next with five receptions for 52 yards and a touchdown, while Cole Kmet caught three passes for 31 yards and a touchdown.

The Bears will enter the 2026 offseason with plenty of positives to celebrate and negatives to address. They will retool with the upcoming draft and free agency, building on the progress they made last campaign.