Repeated 4th down mistakes have Bears fans worried about Ben Johnson

ByNBAUSA



Ben JohnsonHis aggressive calling was a bit of a signature for him. The Chicago Bears the head coach built his identity from his time in Detroit as the offensive coordinator. His creative play calling and penchant for it on fourth down has turned Chicago into a solid offensive team.

However, that aggressiveness comes with great risk. A missed fourth down conversion leads to a turnover and your opponent gaining possession at your line of scrimmage. Miss a quarter in your own territory, and you give your opponents great field position. Against the Green Bay Packers in the Wild Card round, Johnson has not wavered in his offensive philosophy, choosing to do so on multiple occasions.

While the Bears got a quarterback earlier in the game, it was one particular fourth down that turned Chicago’s already poor start into a disaster. Johnson and the Bears went for it in their own territory in the second quarter, which was bad when Caleb Williams’ pass was deflected at the line.

The Packers responded by driving down the field and scoring to extend their lead to 21-3. These mistakes on fourth down have Bears fans questioning Johnson’s decision making.

Johnson’s aggressive but fruitless effort in Game 4 reminded some fans of Dan Campbell’s similar style in the postseason.

Some have compared the Bears’ game plan to Johnson saying he plays like Madden.

The Bears are not out of the game yet. Chicago has earned a reputation as one of the best comeback teams this season, in part because of Johnson’s aggressive calling even when they were down. Still, the way the Bears blew these fourth-down attempts should worry fans after halftime.





2026-01-11 02:51:00

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