1st-and-10: Ben Johnson vs. Vic Fangio could tell the tale of the Bears' 2025 season

Since Lovie Smith and Dave Toub left the Bears after Smith was fired following the 2012 season, two high-level coaches in particular have been able to rise above the dysfunctional muck at Halas Hall to be the best version of themselves.

Vic Fangio is one. 

Ben Johnson is the other.

Fangio, hired by John Fox as the Bears’ defensive coordinator in 2015, came to town with a stellar reputation as an old-school, no-nonsense, stickler-for-details coach who was as good as advertised. 

He took a defense that ranked 31st and 30th in points allowed the two seasons before he arrived and turned it into a dominant unit that ranked No. 1 in the NFL in points allowed, yards per play, rushing yards and interceptions and in the top 10 in passing yards and sacks. With all due respect to Matt Nagy, most of the Bears 2025 accomplishments — including their 8-3 record and two four-game winning streaks — that reference the 2018 season are Fangio’s doing as much as anyone’s. 

Johnson, who was born the year Fangio began his NFL coaching career with the Saints in 1986, is just getting started with the Bears, but already shows indications that he is a headstrong guy who will change Halas Hall before it changes him. He enticed George McCaskey to break the bank and pay him a reported $13 million-a-year. His hiring sparked general manager Ryan Poles to be bolder in filling out the interior of the offense line — acquiring Joe Thuney, Jonah Jackson and Drew Dalman after getting Nate Davis, Lucas Patrick, Ryan Bates and Coleman Shelton for Matt Eberflus. When the Bears opened training camp, only Johnson took questions. Poles made a statement and left — a notable departure from the Bears' usual season-opening procedure. The message was clear: This is Ben Johnson's show.

And Johnson's role in the Bears’ rejuvenating season is undeniable. The Bears are 8-3 with an offense that has improved from 28th to eighth in points, from 32nd to sixth in yards, from 25th to second in rushing and from 31st to eighth in third-down conversions. Not even Fangio made improvements that quickly.

Fangio and Johnson, born a generation apart but sharing a common bond as difference makers at Halas Hall, will appropriately be key figures in the featured matchup when the Bears face the defending Super Bowl champion Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on Friday — Johnson’s Bears offense, which ranks eighth in points scored, vs. Fangio’s Eagles defense, which ranks eighth in points allowed.

It’s a big test for the Bears’ offense, which has not played a defense ranked higher than 16th in points allowed since Week 2 against the Lions (who are 10th). And an even bigger game for Johnson. Fangio’s Eagles are vulnerable — ranked 20th in yards, 19th in rushing, 22nd in passing, 26th in sacks and 21st in third-down conversions. But they clamp down in the red zone — third in the NFL in touchdown percentage (48.5%). Johnson’s offense is 16th in red-zone touchdown percentage (57.9%). Therein lies the challenge for Johnson on Friday.

The Bears don’t have to beat the Eagles to make the playoffs. But this is the kind of chess match Ben Johnson needs to win — eventually — for the Bears to be a playoff contender and not just a playoff team. 

2. The Ben Johnson Effect I: When the Bears hired Johnson, one particular benefit was his ability to win shootouts. The Lions were 13-13 when allowing 23 or more points in his three seasons as offensive coordinator (the most wins in the NFL in that span), while the Bears were 0-25 in that scenario. 

Sure enough, the upgrade is coming to fruition. With their 31-28 victory over the Steelers on Sunday, the Bears are now 4-3 when allowing 23 or more points this season, including 4-1 since Week 3. They were an NFL-worst 6-82 (.068) in that category from 2014-24.

3a. The Ben Johnson Effect II: Caleb Williams’ accuracy issue will be an impediment to his development until he solves it. But unlike Mitch Trubisky and Justin Fields before him, it’s a survivable issue. 

The Bears are 7-0 this season when Williams completes less than 60% of his passes (his low is 50% against the Vikings in Week 11). His passer rating in those games is 87.0 — not that far below his season average of 91.3. That compares favorably to Trubisky under Nagy (5-7, 70.4 passer rating) and Fields (6-11, 68.8) with the Bears.

In fact, the Bears have averaged 28.1 points in the seven games that Williams has completed less than 60% of his passes — 24 or more in six of them. The rest of the NFL is averaging 18.3 points when their starter completes between 50-60% of his passes, with a 73.5 passer rating and 27-48 record. 

3b. For What It’s Worth Dept.: The Bears are in good company among teams that have winning records when their quarterback completes less than 60% of his passes — since the league average reached 60% in 2007: 

The 2015 Panthers (9-1) lost in the Super Bowl; the 2007 Giants (8-3) and 2017 Eagles (7-1) won the Super Bowl; the 2010 Jets (7-4) lost in the AFC Championship Game; and the 2012 Colts (7-5) went to the playoffs with rookie quarterback Andrew Luck after finishing 2-14 the previous season. 

3c. The Josh Allen comp has become a cliche for any potential franchise quarterback who struggles with accuracy in his first two seasons. Allen completed 56.3% of his passes in 2018 and 2019 with the Bills under Brian Daboll, but improved to 69.2% in Year 3 and became a perennial MVP candidate. 

But Williams’ production through his accuracy issues in Johnson’s offense makes it a fair comparison. Williams has started 28 games — the same amount as Allen in 2018-19 and could be poised to take that next step. For the Bears and Williams, while there is much to be gained in the final six games of 2025 — including a potential playoff run — the 2026 season can’t get here soon enough.

4. Red Flag Dept.: Williams and Johnson have been effective in rallying the Bears from behind in the fourth quarter this season, but both were notably less effective in putting the hammer down with the lead in the fourth quarter against the Steelers. 

With a chance to close out the game in the final 6:20 and a 31-28 lead, the Bears had two uninspired possessions — three-and-outs with a delay of game penalty and eight total yards. The Steelers were unable to take advantage with Mason Rudolph at quarterback instead of Aaron Rodgers. But acquiring that kind of killer instinct could make the difference down the stretch — or in the playoffs.

5. The Bears have "good culture" because they are winning. They are not winning because they have good culture. Every team under a new coach has good culture — and "belief" for that matter — until it doesn't. It's like momentum in hockey — you have it until you don't. Last year the Vikings had good culture under Kevin O'Connell when they went 14-3. Now they have "soft" culture under O'Connell at 4-7. That's football.

6. The last time Johnson’s offense played on a short week, the Lions beat the Bears 23-20 in the fateful Thanksgiving Day game that spelled the end for Eberflus. It was the Lions’ lowest point total in 10 games. They had been averaging 37.3 points in their previous eight games. 

In previous short-week games, the Lions beat the Packers 34-20 at Lambeau and lost to the Packers 29-22 at Ford Field in 2023; and lost to the Bills 28-25 in 2022. 

Johnson will have an extra day this time, facing the Eagles on Friday. For what it’s worth home teams are 9-3 on Thursday night’s this season (winning six of the last seven). Home favorites are 6-1. The Eagles are seven-point favorites Friday at Lincoln Financial Field. 

The Eagles played on short rest in Week 6. Coming off a 21-17 loss to the Broncos at home, they lost to the Giants 34-17 at the Meadowlands, when defensive tackle Jalen Carter did not play because of a heel injury.

7a. The Bears have had supersub performances before — most recently Khalil Herbert (157 yards) for David Montgomery in a 23-20 victory over the Texans in 2022 and Nick Kwiatkoski (sack, forced fumble) and Nick Williams (two sacks) for Roquan Smith/Akiem Hicks in a 16-6 victory over the Vikings in 2019. But probably never relied on substitutes filling huge holes like they did against the Steelers. 

The Bears played without seven projected Week 1 starters (out of 23) against the Steelers and at one point had nine starters out after cornerback Tyrique Stevenson and right guard Jonah Jackson left with injuries. 

Their replacements played 30.7% of the total snaps in the game: linebacker D’Marco Jackson (72 snaps), cornerbacks Nahshon Wright (72), and C.J. Gardner-Johnson (65), left tackle Ozzy Trapilo (65), cornerback Nick McCloud (57), linebacker Amen Ogbongbemiga (42), defensive end Joe Tryon-Shoyinka (22), right guard Luke Newman (22), defensive back Elijah Hicks (16), defensive tackle Chris Williams (16) and linebacker Ruben Hyppolite (13). 

7b. The List: Other top supersub performances: 

• Quarterback Jim Miller (422 passing yards) for Cade McNown in a 27-24 overtime loss to the Vikings in 1999.

• Quarterback Josh McCown (272 passing yards, two touchdowns) for Jay Cutler in a 27-20 victory over the Packers at Lambeau Field in 2013 

• Running back James Allen (23-163 rushing) for Edgar Bennett in a 24-3 victory over the Ravens in 1999.

• Linebacker Jamar Williams (18 tackles) for Lance Briggs in a 17-9 victory over the Rams in 2009.

• Wide receiver D’Wayne Bates (4-107, one touchdown receiving) for Dez White in a 24-0 victory over the Lions in 2001.

• Running back Brock Forsey (134 rushing) for Anthony Thomas in a 28-3 victory over the Cardinals in 2003. 

• Wide receiver Cam Meredith (9-130, one touchdown receiving) for Kevin White in a 29-23 loss to the Colts in 2016.

8. Quick Hits: The Bears strength-of-victory improved to .309 (27-61-1) by beating the now 6-5 Steelers, but that’s still last among the 18 teams with winning records this season. … The Bears’ strength of schedule (.365) ranks 31st, ahead of only the 10-2 Patriots (.346) — but the Bears final six opponents are a combined 40-25-2 (.612). … Caleb Williams’ 28 consecutive starts ranks third all-time among Bears quarterbacks, behind Bob Avellini (42 in 1976-78) and Bill Wade (37 in 1962-64). … The Bears offense drew only its second defensive pass interference penalty of the season Sunday — a six-yard infraction on linebacker Payton Wilson against tight end Cole Kmet. The Johnson offense has drawn just three DPI penalties in 29 games over the last two seasons with the Lions and Bears. … The Commanders have lost six straight games since Jayden Daniels’ unforced fumble against the Bears. Last year the Bears’ Hail Mary loss to the Commanders started a 10-game losing streak. … Matt Eberflus’ Cowboys defense has allowed just 37 points (18.5 average) in two games since acquiring Quinnen Williams at the bye after allowing a league-high 30.8 in its first nine games. 

9. Josh McCown Ex-Bears Player of the Week: Falcons wide receiver Darnell Mooney had three receptions for 74 yards, including a 49-yard touchdown from Kirk Cousins in a 24-10 victory over the Saints that snapped a five-game losing streak. 

Mooney, who has battled through injuries since a shoulder injury in Week 17 last season, has 19 receptions for 298 yards (15.7 average) and one touchdown this season. 

10. Bear-ometer — 10-7: at Eagles (L); at Packers (L); vs. Browns (W); vs. Packers (W); at 49ers (L); vs. Lions (L).

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