Ben Johnson just wants to move on to Week 2 after the Chicago Bears' stunning season-opening loss to the Minnesota Vikings. While a lot contributed to the result, Johnson knows he made a miscalculation at the end of the game that likely affected the outcome.
Although visibly upset with reporters continuing to ask him about the loss, Johnson explained the Bears' final kickoff that allowed the Vikings to run out the clock. Johnson admitted that he “got greedy” and tried to have kicker Cairo Santos force a touchback instead of kicking the ball short and stopping the clock.
“Listen, last time I'm gonna bring up last game,” Johnson told reporters on Friday. “I got greedy, and I wanted the extra five yards. That's why we tried to kick it out of the back of the end zone. Simple as that.”
#Bears HC Ben Johnson is still getting asked about Monday night’s game and the decision to keep it deep before the two-minute warning:
“I got greedy, and I wanted the extra 5 yards. That’s why we tried to kick it out of the end zone. Simple as that.”pic.twitter.com/oSshtn4URp
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) September 12, 2025
Under the new dynamic kickoff rules, any kick that lands short of the “landing zone” — in between the goal line and the 20-yard line — is treated as a kickoff out of bounds and immediately placed at the 40-yard line. A kickoff that sails out of the back of the end zone is an immediate touchback and placed at the 35-yard line, hence the five-yard difference Johnson referenced.
Santos attempted to boot the ball out of the end zone, but his kick allowed Vikings' returner Ty Chandler to run it back. In doing so, Chandler's run took the clock past the two-minute mark, preventing the Bears from gaining an additional clock-stopping timeout.
Ben Johnson, Bears look to rebound in Week 2 against Lions
Despite looking good for most of the game, the Bears left Week 1 with a 0-1 record. Johnson will seek his first win in Week 2, where he faces his former team, the Detroit Lions.
The game forces Johnson to return to Soldier Field, where he worked on the sidelines as a member of Dan Campbell's staff from 2019 to 2024. Johnson ended his decorated tenure as the Lions' offensive coordinator by winning the 2024 AP NFL Assistant Coach of the Year award.
The Lions have dominated the Bears recently, winning five of the last six meetings. However, with Johnson now switching sidelines, expectations have shaken up. Although Chicago's Johnson era began with yet another disappointing defeat, fans remain hopeful that the team will show more consistency throughout the season.
