Ben Johnson knows Aaron Glenn’s defense as well as anyone, and that makes Sunday’s matchup a tricky one for the Jets.
The two coaches spent four years together in Detroit under Dan Campbell before going their separate ways. Glenn built his reputation as a hard-nosed defensive mind and a former player, and that helped him land the Jets job. Now, two years later, he’s set to face Johnson for the first time.
That history cuts both ways. Glenn spent plenty of time watching Johnson work every day, and he knows exactly how sharp Chicago’s offensive coach can be. But the bigger problem for New York is the roster in front of him.
Even without Caleb Williams, the Bears look equipped to handle the Jets. Chicago’s offense has shown enough to suggest it can keep rolling, while the Jets are short on the kind of pieces that would normally help them slow it down. Geno Smith and a Breece Hall-less offense don’t exactly present the kind of challenge that should keep the Bears up at night.
Johnson also isn’t changing his approach. He kept dialing up aggressive play-calls on Monday Night Football, leaning into the same heavy pre-snap motion and deception that have made his offense so difficult to pin down. Williams or not, the Bears kept pushing the same style.
That’s part of what makes Johnson so dangerous. He’s already established himself as one of the best offensive coaches in the game, while Glenn is still trying to break through with the Jets after a rough start to his tenure. He was even viewed as one of the leading candidates to become the first head coach to lose his job this season.
Chicago, though, has already shown it’s more than a one-note team. The Bears can absorb Williams being sidelined because they have enough other options to keep the offense moving, along with a quarterback room featuring two reliable veterans who can steady things if needed.
The Jets have hung around in some games this season, but that hasn’t told the full story. The Packers have been a mess, and the Lions’ secondary may be the worst in football right now, which makes those close results against supposed contenders look a little less impressive.
Johnson doesn’t seem interested in easing into this one. He’s the kind of coach who stays locked in no matter who’s on the other sideline, and against his old colleagues, he may be even more determined to make his point again on Sunday.
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Minkah Fitzpatrick was the one who made it happen, and he did it soon after returning from a groin injury. For a Jets defense that had gone far too long without a pick, the play ended one of the longest active droughts in recent NFL history and offered a small but notable defensive lift in Chicago. [Read more 🡒]
Ben Johnson Sent A Clear Message About The Bears Quarterback Room
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Bagent finished 25 of 34 for 268 yards and an interception, a line that fit the way Chicago wanted to play in a game where the defense and run game carried plenty of the load. The choice to start Keenum for a play and then move quickly to Bagent was hard to miss, especially in a win where the Bears were able to dictate terms while the Jets struggled to generate much without Breece Hall. [Read more 🡒]
Tyson Bagent Faces One Bears Test That Could Decide Everything
Tyson Bagent is set to make his first start since the 2023 season in Week 4 against the Jets, with Caleb Williams still out because of a hamstring injury. Bagent has been handling most of the first-team reps in practice, and this week has become a real test of how the Bears want to function with a different kind of quarterback in place.
For Chicago, the question is less about asking Bagent to be a hero than about what a workable game plan looks like around him. His style gives the Bears a chance to lean into what he does well, but the bigger issue is whether the offense can stay on schedule and avoid forcing him into spots that dont fit his strengths. [Read more 🡒]