Ben Johnson faces his biggest test yet after being outclassed by Brian Flores

After putting up 59 points against the Carolina Panthers, the Chicago Bears were humbled after suffering a 9–3 loss to the Minnesota Vikings on a soggy, wet day. However, the result feels like a footnote back in Chicago. For many fans, the only thing anyone in Chicago cared about was Caleb Williams’ hamstring — and the sight of the franchise quarterback leaving the game on a cart, visibly emotional. 

The Caleb Williams injury:pic.twitter.com/DNWRXF2EUH https://t.co/f4duAQy2lY

— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) September 20, 2026

This was the kind of non‑contact injury that makes an entire football city freeze. And it happened on a day when Ben Johnson got outcoached by Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores, a storyline that is becoming impossible to ignore.

Sunday was the clearest mismatch yet. Johnson is now 1–2 against Flores as a head coach, and Sunday’s game was the most lopsided of the three matchups. Flores dictated this game. His defense stayed aggressive from start to finish and treated Johnson’s play‑calling like it wasn’t even a threat. As a result, Chicago’s offense managed just three points.

Biggest challenge awaits Ben Johnson

The moment Caleb Williams went down on Sunday wasn’t just a scare — it was the kind of non‑contact injury that instantly changes the temperature of an entire football team and leaves them bracing for the worst possible news.

It happened with 8:30 left to play in the game. Facing 1st and goal, Williams rolled to the left, and he had a clear path toward the end zone. But he went down without contact, and in turn, he couldn’t put any weight on the leg at all.

However, NFL insider Tom Pelissero says the Bears may have dodged a bullet on Monday.

Bears QB Caleb Williams avoided any major injury to his hamstring Sunday, tests confirmed today — and the team isn’t even ruling him out for next Monday’s game against the Eagles, sources tell @ringer @netflixsports.

A massive sigh of relief in Chicago. pic.twitter.com/mfCT5x0JWR

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) September 21, 2026

But Johnson said Williams is week‑to‑week and will likely miss time during his interview with Jeff Joniak on ESPN Chicago. The Bears must turn to Tyson Bagent, and now Johnson must build an offense around him.

Bagent nearly led the team to a comeback win on the final drive, completing 6, 18, 21, and 8 yards. However, with only one second remaining, Bagent took a sack, and consequently, any hope of a miracle comeback vanished on the spot.

It did not help that the Bears offense kept shooting themselves in the foot all afternoon: Center Garrett Bradberry led with five penalties, causing the offense to stall multiple times. Running back D’Andre Swift fumbled at the Minnesota goal line on their first drive to start the second half. Johnson kept feeding rookie Sam Roush snaps, and Roush made the decision look worse by dropping a walk‑in touchdown and missing the block that let Minnesota block Santos’ 23‑yard kick.

This is where Johnson’s job gets real now. This is where the “offensive guru” label gets tested. His play‑calling on Sunday was his worst yet: no counterpunch to Flores’ pressure, no rhythm, no creativity, no urgency.

With Williams out, Johnson faces his biggest challenge as the Bears head coach. He now must:

• stabilize an offense that scored three points
• build a game plan around a backup QB and win until Williams is ready to return
• keep the locker room steady while Williams is out 
• fix the penalty issues that continue to drag the team

Many clowned Johnson for his comments about aiming to become the most explosive, highest-scoring offense in NFL history. Williams’ injury makes it even easier for the media to go after Johnson.

For Johnson, this is the moment that separates head coaches from coordinators. Next Monday, he goes up against another top-notch defensive coordinator, Vic Fangio of the Philadelphia Eagles. Johnson defeated him 24-15 on Black Friday last year. You can bet Fangio had this game circled after the Bears gashed his defense for 281 rushing yards. 

This is the reality of being an NFL head coach in Chicago, where expectations are heavy, and excuses evaporate quickly. His toughest challenge awaits now.