Ben Johnson ready for Bears head coaching debut vs. Vikings

Ariana Pensy · Correspondent · 5 hours ago

CHICAGO - Ben Johnson’s first regular-season game as a head coach is just around the corner.

He is excited, the players are excited, and he is anticipating an electric environment in Soldier Field on Monday Night against the Minnesota Vikings (7:15 p.m./ABC).

“I know our guys are really excited about what’s to come. Soldier Field, game one. I think it’s going to be an electric atmosphere. So, we’re going to need that fan support every step of the way,” Johnson said. “All that matters is us winning the game. That’s all we need to see from our quarterback, from our offense, from our defense, from our special teams. All we’re focused on is what we need to do to win the game.”

Going into the game, safety Harrison Smith (illness) is doubtful for the Vikings. Given that he is one of the best players on Minnesota’s defense, this is certainly something to take note of.

Minnesota’s offensive lineman, Christian Darisaw (knee), is questionable, while running back Zavier Scott (ankle) and defensive end Elijah Williams (hamstring) have been ruled out.

For Chicago, linebacker T.J. Edwards (hamstring) is doubtful while cornerbacks Jaylon Johnson (calf/groin) and Josh Blackwell (groin) along with running back Roschon Johnson (foot) are all questionable. Rookie running back Kyle Monangai (hamstring) has been removed from the injury report and was a full participant in practice on Saturday.

There is a lot of hype going into this game. Chicago has an improved offensive line, a new head coach, a new offensive coordinator, and a new defensive coordinator. The Bears have added talent on both sides of the ball through free agency, trades, and the NFL Draft.

Despite all the outside hype, Johnson said everyone in the building is dialed in and focused on beating Minnesota.

“This is also how we feed our families, and we’re dependent on each other to get that job done, so I’m grateful for the guys in the locker room. They all embrace that mindset. Everybody in this building, certainly when I see them, they’re dialed in. They’re locked in,” Johnson said. “I can’t say enough good things about our whole roster from top to bottom. I’ve been thoroughly impressed from the springtime through training camp here into week one how locked in they are. So, that’s the expectation that we’re all in this thing for each other. We don’t want to let our buddies down, and that’s the thought.”

Minnesota is notorious for its difficult defenses, which frequently employ blitzes. However, quarterback Caleb Williams has faced this defense twice before during his rookie season. The first time he played the Vikings, while the Bears came up short, he had one of his best games with 340 passing yards and two touchdowns.

Now, Williams has a few more playmakers to throw the ball to, and that is part of why Johnson feels so confident about Chicago’s game plan for Monday.

“We have no shortage of playmakers. That’s really in short why we feel really good about not just the running back room, but our entire stable on offense,” Johnson said. “We feel really good about this game plan and we’re going to do whatever it takes, whatever the situation is, to find a way to come out on top.”

Throughout the preseason, there was some discussion about how Johnson would handle head coaching responsibilities during a live game.

Chicago’s three preseason games allowed him to feel out what he likes and does not like during games, especially the communication aspect.

“This is why the preseason has been such a good dry run for us. We’ve had three games to really get the communication aspect down, what it’s going to look like pregame, halftime, postgame, not only for us but for the players and listen, I feel comfortable going into this thing,” Johnson said. “I’m surrounded by a lot of really good people, I can’t stress that enough. I really can’t. The coaching staff is top-notch. It’s just the next step and everyone’s got a first time for everything. So, this should just be the first time I’m a head coach in a regular season (game).”