Ben Johnson outdoing even Mike Ditka as Bears reach a new level
Most of the landmarks of success that will define the Ben Johnson era of Bears football (even some pretty modest ones) go back to the Mike Ditka era — three consecutive playoff seasons, three consecutive winning seasons, back-to-back seasons in the top-10 in the NFL in scoring, and of course, winning the Super Bowl.
When the Bears do something for the first time since 2018 under Matt Nagy or 2013-14 under Marc Trestman or even 2005-12 under Lovie Smith, it's notable but not eyebrow-raising. When he does something that goes back to the Ditka era — that's when it's time to take notice.
Johnson's Bears reached one of those milestones when they beat the defending Super Bowl champion Seahawks in impressive fashion, 34-17, at Lumen Field on Monday Night Football – coming off a victory over the defending AFC champion Patriots on Thursday Night Football on Oct. 22 at Soldier Field.
It marked the first time the Bears have beaten both Super Bowl teams from the previous season's Super Bowl since Ditka's Bears did it in 1984. And while that Ditka team didn't do it in back-to-back games like Johnson's team did (they didn't have the chance), they did it with an even bigger flourish than a prime-time statement game on the road.
After parlaying two Walter Payton touchdown runs for a 17-6 victory over the defending Super Bowl champion Raiders in Week 10 at Soldier Field, the Bears beat the defending NFC champion Redskins 23-19 in a divisional playoff game at RFK Stadium. That was the game that stamped the Bears as a future champion, a status they lived up to and then some in the glorious 1985 Super Bowl championship season.
In a similar stage of development as those early Ditka teams, Johnson's Bulls actually are exceeding the Ditka-era Bears in one overlooked, but not insignificant aspect: They are developing and flourishing in the best division in the NFL.
The NFC North, in fact, is on an unprecedented pace in the first half of the season. Every team in the division is two games or more over .500 — the Vikings (6-1), Bears (6-2), Lions (5-2) and Packers (5-3). It's the first time that's happened through eight weeks in any division in the 25-year history of the 32-team divisional alignment. After the Bears' victory over the Seahawks, the NFC North is 17-3 against non-division opponents this season.
Ditka, on the other hand, had a much easier row to hoe when he built the mid-'80s Bears into a juggernaut. The old NFC Central — Bears, Packers, Lions, Vikings and Buccaneers — was one of the worst in the NFL. In the nine prime years of the Ditka era (1984-91), just six teams besides the Bears in those eight seasons finished with a winning record. The Packers, Lions, Vikings and Bucs were a combined 85-166-2 (.338) against non-division opponents — including an abysmal 27-68-1 (.281) in 1984-86, when the Bears quickly became the scourge of the NFL. In that eight-year span from 1984-91, Ditka's Bears were 49-13 (.790) in the NFC Central and 39-23 (.629) against non-division opponents.
There's the rub for Johnson. He's an impressive 15-2 against non-division opponents in his two seasons as the Bears' head coach, but just 3-6 against NFC North teams, including the playoff victory over the Packers. Last season the Bears became only the second team in the current divisional format (since 2002) to go 2-4 in the division and still win the division title (the 2010 Chiefs also did it).
And the Bears at it again this season, kind of. Johnson's Bears (6-2) are a half-game behind the Vikings for the division lead, but 0-2 in the division, though with an asterisk — they lost to the Vikings 9-3 in a rainstorm at Soldier Field in Week 2 when Caleb Williams suffered a hamstring injury with the Bears on the doorstep of a potential winning touchdown; and they lost to the Packers 31-7 at Lambeau Field in Week 5 with Tyson Bagent starting at quarterback.
The Bears' issues in the division are an interesting quirk of their rise to Super Bowl contention. The victory over the Seahawks on the road in prime time (on long rest) was their biggest "statement" of Johnson's tenure. But another challenge looms — their next division game against the Lions on Thanksgiving Day at Ford Field. Johnson is 0-2 against Dan Campbell, 0-2 in the division this season and 3-6 in the division as the Bears' head coach. Good thing he loves a challenge.
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