Ben Johnson was emotional as he praised his Chicago Bears squad after their heartbreaking 20-17 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Divisional Round on Sunday night.
Johnson completed his first season as the Bears' head coach, bringing the franchise back to the playoffs after a four-year drought. They enjoyed success with an 11-6 record in the regular season, securing the NFC North title for the first time since 2018. The squad started the postseason in spectacular fashion after eliminating their division rival Green Bay Packers in the Wild Card Round. However, their hopes to reach the NFC Championship Game came crashing down when the Rams made their game-winning field goal to send Chicago home in heartbreak.
Johnson reflected on the loss after the game, via Ari Meirov. He described it as a disappointing result but was proud of how his team kept competing down the stretch.
“Disappointing result. Our guys are feeling it right now. They all believed. They believed all year. … It was a special year. This will hopefully be a feeling in this locker room that we can use as fuel moving forward,” Johnson said.
#Bears HC Ben Johnson on the loss: “Disappointing result. Our guys are feeling it right now. They all believed. They believed all year. … It was a special year. This will hopefully be a feeling in this locker room that we can use as fuel moving forward.” https://t.co/ztvjvU174v pic.twitter.com/eekZGiPnyB
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) January 19, 2026
How Ben Johnson, Bears performed against Rams
Ben Johnson can feel proud with how his first season as a head coach turned out. There will be chances to improve while helping 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 run. Despite this, he made the overall efforts to keep Chicago in the game against Los Angeles. He completed 23 passes out of 42 attempts for 257 yards and two touchdowns and three interceptions while adding five rushes for 40 yards.
D'Andre Swift had a decent night in the rushing attack, racking up 19 carries for 76 yards. Colston Loveland led the receiving attack with four catches for 56 yards. DJ Moore came 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 positive to celebrate and negatives to address. They will retool with the upcoming draft and free agency, building on the progress they made with this past campaign.
