Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson reveals why he made puzzling decision to pull starters

It was a massive week for the Chicago Bears, who were looking to bounce back after a disappointing loss to the Green Bay Packers last Sunday.

Fortunately, the team responded. They went on the road and got a 31-23 victory over the Atlanta Falcons, moving them to a 4-2 record on the young season. The return of QB Caleb Williams was clearly needed, as the Bears offense looked the best it had in weeks. Williams proved his value once again.

Chicago jumped out to a 31-7 lead in the third quarter, and it looked as if this was going to be a blowout victory for Ben Johnson’s squad. That was not the case, as Atlanta stormed back and had a chance to tie the game late in the fourth. Luckily, Kyler Gordon’s third sack of the day was the difference, and the Bears snuck away with a win.

Johnson made a confusing decision to pull some of his starters after the Bears went up by 24 points. It makes a bit of sense, given the fact that the Bears play again on Thursday. However, it may have been one or two series early.

“You’re trying to thread the needle a little bit. If we didn’t have the Thursday Night game, I don’t know if we would do things like we did.” Johnson said following the victory, “I do believe, if we hadn’t had that fumble, that maybe we would’ve gotten out of there the way we wanted to.”

“But things happen, and we got to keep playing. We’re trying to thread the needle and do what’s best for us. We had to win this game first and foremost. But we want to think long-term also.”

Johnson has gotten criticism as of late (for a multitude of reasons), and will likely hear more of it this week.

Chicago Bears: Ben Johnson pulled the starters a bit too early

Ben Johnson will surely hear it this week from the media. Some blame needs to fall on the reserves, as the fire in the entire team looked like it had left after the third quarter. They may have thought the game was won.

With all the injuries the Bears have dealt with thus far, the caution is understandable. Especially considering they have another game in just four days, as they’ll host the New England Patriots on Thursday Night Football.

Defensively, the Bears looked great in the first half. Kyler Gordon played a massive role in his return to the starting lineup, and showed why he’s worth every penny of that 40-million-dollar contract.

Kyler Gordon got one of the game balls from Ben Johnson after the #Bears’ win over the Falcons.

The past is the past. Moving forward. Kyler deserved this today. pic.twitter.com/0qPuYFOpG0

— Jacob Infante (@jacobinfante24) October 18, 2026

The Pats are coming off another victory themselves and are playing a great brand of football as of late. The defending AFC champs will give Chicago a legit test on both sides of the ball. It’ll be exciting to watch two of the top three picks from the 2024 NFL Draft battle it out.

More Chicago Bears: Not all franchise records are created equal, and the Bears set a bad one this week

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