Bears' Johnson Defies Luck Talk, Proves Worth

0:00On April 8th, Ben Johnson shut down all the doubters last year as Chicago Bears had coached. Higher from the Detroit Lions where he ran a killer offense, folks wondered if he'd flopped like some coordinators turn headguys. But in 2025, he flipped the script. The Bears won the NFC North, their offense exploded. Caleb Williams broke out as a superstar quarterback and they nearly hit the NFC Championship. Now jump to this week. NBC sports writer Patrick Dardi dropped his 2026 head coach rankings and he put Johnson at number 13. Doggerty called the Bears lucky, saying they lived off one-score wins and face regression ahead. He admits Johnson sets the tone beyond just plays, predicting bigger things. Bears fans and analysts are pushing back hard on that luck talk. In one-score games including playoffs, Chicago win 8 and 5, time for 10th best win percentage league wide. Things like Denver at 11 and 2 topped the list, but the Bears held their own in a tough

1:00spot. Look at the NFC North rivals and Johnson's case gets stronger. Dan Campbell's Lions regressed the last two years. Kevin O'Connell in Minnesota has zero playoff wins. Matt LaFloor in Green Bay hasn't owned the division since Aaron Rogers left, sitting just one and three in playoffs. Johnson conquered that stacked group in year one. No media might keep sleeping on Chicago, but Bears fans know the drill after years of rough luck. With this squad leveling up, expect Johnson and Williams to demand respect by proving it all over again in 2026. That's your update from NFL News Today, powered by AI.