Ben Johnson has already shown he can keep Chicago’s offense on script no matter who’s taking the snaps, and that’s why the Bears head into Week 5 with real confidence even after losing Caleb Williams. First it was veteran Case Keenum, who lit up Philadelphia in a Monday night win.
Then Tyson Bagent stepped in and helped deliver a controlled 23-12 victory over the Jets. Through it all, Chicago has stayed at 3-1, the offense has kept humming at 429 yards per game, and the ground game has remained the league’s best at 196.3 rushing yards per game.
Now comes the tougher test: Bagent gets another start Sunday at Lambeau Field against the Packers, with Williams still out because of the hamstring injury he suffered against Minnesota. That’s a different kind of assignment entirely. Green Bay has owned this matchup at home, winning 15 of the last 18 meetings at Lambeau, and the Packers’ defense should have plenty of ideas for an inexperienced quarterback.
But this is also where Johnson’s imprint matters most. Chicago hasn’t tried to ask backup quarterbacks to do too much.
The Bears have leaned into what they do best, letting the run game set the tone and building the passing game around it with play-action, motion and easy completions that keep the offense on schedule. That formula worked with Keenum, who threw for 247 yards and three touchdowns against Philadelphia, and it worked again with Bagent, who went 25 of 34 for 268 yards against New York.
The Bears’ commitment to the run has been central to everything. D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai have carried that load, and Monangai’s 146-yard, two-touchdown showing against the Jets was a perfect example of what happens when Chicago stays patient and keeps leaning on a defense that’s starting to wear down.
Monangai said the offense has become hard to prepare for because opponents know the run is coming, yet the Bears still execute it. Offensive Coordinator Luke Getsy has stuck with that approach because the line and the backs keep creating enough movement to stay ahead of the chains.
That should still be the plan in Green Bay, though the Packers are a more serious challenge than the Jets were. They’ve had stretches this season where they’ve defended the run well, and they have the talent up front to make it hard for Chicago to live in the same concepts all afternoon. But the matchup shifted when linebacker Edgerrin Cooper suffered a season-ending Achilles injury, removing one of Green Bay’s fastest second-level defenders just before it had to face the league’s most productive rushing offense at Lambeau Field.
That opens the door for the Bears to keep forcing the Packers’ linebackers to sort through motion, split-back looks and play-action off the same downhill run game that has controlled possession all season. It also helps keep Bagent out of situations where he’s asked to win the game on his own.
Since Justin Fields went down, Chicago hasn’t just stripped things down. Getsy has kept enough complexity in the offense to give the quarterback cleaner reads while making the defense work before the snap.
Bagent can get the ball out quickly, take the completions that are there and use his mobility if protection breaks down. The structure around him keeps Green Bay from treating every passing down like a chance to unleash pressure.
Bagent’s Week 4 outing wasn’t perfect. He threw an interception and didn’t throw a touchdown pass.
But he didn’t need to carry the Bears, either. Nearly 74% completions were enough because the offense stayed balanced, the run game held up and the defense kept New York from turning the game into a pass-heavy scramble.
That’s likely where the Packers will try to push this one. They’ll crowd the box and try to make Bagent beat them through the air.
Chicago’s answer will have to include its pass-catchers - Cole Kmet, Colston Loveland, Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III - because the Bears don’t need a huge passing day to keep Green Bay honest. A few efficient throws behind aggressive linebackers, or into space created by motion, can be enough to stop the Packers from fully selling out against the run.
The Bears also arrive with momentum on defense. Over the last two games, Chicago has allowed just 19 total points, and that kind of support gives Getsy the freedom to stay patient instead of forcing throws in search of points. Long possessions help the entire operation: the offense gets to play to its identity, and the defense gets more rest.
That matters even more at Lambeau, where noise and rivalry can turn one early mistake into a mess if an offense starts pressing. Chicago has spent the last two weeks proving it doesn’t have to do that, even without its starter.
Green Bay has enough talent to make this a tougher afternoon than the Bears’ last two games, and Bagent will almost certainly face some broken protection and some ugly third downs. Still, the point isn’t that Chicago needs to steamroll the Packers from the opening snap. It’s that the Bears now have an offensive structure sturdy enough to survive those moments without abandoning what has worked.
If Chicago runs the ball, controls the clock and keeps Bagent in manageable spots, Johnson may be staring at his best coaching job yet. Winning at Lambeau without Fields would turn this stretch from a strong adjustment into something much harder to ignore.
In Other News...
Packers Fans May Need To Reassess MarShawn Lloyd Fast
MarShawn Lloyd has gotten a real look in Green Bay this season, and for stretches he has flashed the kind of versatility that made him an intriguing part of the backfield plan. He has appeared in multiple games, helped as a pass-catcher with nine receptions and a touchdown, and even earned more playing time as injuries and ball-security issues opened the door around him.
The challenge for Lloyd is what has happened when the ball has been in his hands as a runner. His 2.7 yards per carry is the lowest among the Packers running backs, and two recent fumbles have only sharpened the scrutiny. For a team trying to sort out its backfield hierarchy, that leaves Lloyd in a spot where the upside is still visible, but the margin for error feels awfully thin. [Read more 🡒]
Packers Still Searching For Depth At One Spot Fans Are Watching
The Packers kept working the edges of the roster this week with a set of tryouts that underscored how much the front office is still scanning for help. Green Bay looked at linebackers Deion Jones and Chris Paul, along with cornerbacks Cobee Bryant and Dwight McGlothern, in another reminder that the post-cutdown period is as much about staying ready as it is about finding a surprise fit.
With a full 53-man roster and practice squad already in place, any move would require Green Bay to clear space somewhere else, which is why these workouts matter even if nothing follows immediately. The team has been active with visits and tryouts since the deadline passed, and the pattern suggests the Packers are keeping a close eye on a few areas while leaving the door open for a roster shuffle if the right player becomes available. [Read more 🡒]
Packers Suddenly Have One Big Linebacker Decision To Make
Edgerrin Coopers season-ending Achilles injury left the Packers with an immediate opening in the middle of their defense, and it comes at a time when Green Bay has to decide whether to trust what it already has or look outside the building for help. The internal route would keep the answer simple, but the injury also exposes how much the defense was relying on Coopers presence in that spot.
One name worth watching is Matt Milano, a free agent with prior ties to the Packers coaching staff and the kind of background that fits the role Green Bay suddenly needs filled. His recent production has dipped some, but he still brings experience as both a pass rusher and a run defender, which is why he could surface as a real option if the Packers decide they need a more proven solution. [Read more 🡒]