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What Ben Johnson, Chicago Bears said Monday after loss to Baltimore Ravens

Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson watches the end of an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens, Sunday, Oct. 26, 2025, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson and some players met with reporters virtually Monday, a day after the Bears’ four-game winning streak ended with a 30-16 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

The Bears made too many mistakes during a winnable game Sunday. The offense showed inconsistency throughout the game, while an injury-depleted defense couldn’t stop Ravens backup quarterback Tyler Huntley from moving the ball down the field.

Chicago will try to find some answers this week as it prepares for another road trip, this one to Cincinnati on Sunday to play the Bengals. Here are three of the most interesting things the Bears said Monday.

On Caleb Williams’ performance

Sunday was an up-and-down day for Bears quarterback Caleb Williams and the offense. While he showed promise at times, Williams struggled to make some critical plays on a day the offense needed to step up.

Johnson provided some added clarity on some of those moments.

Williams’ biggest mistake came in the fourth quarter when he threw an interception from the Bears’ 4-yard line. He tried to fit the ball to wide receiver Rome Odunze, but Ravens cornerback Nate Wiggins undercut the throw and picked off the pass. Baltimore went on to score on the following drive to take a 10-point lead.

Johnson said that Williams should’ve checked down on the interception. Replay shows that rookie running back Kyle Monangai was open for an easy first down.

Williams and the offense also struggled to score late in the game down 14 points, when they got down to the Baltimore 3 with a fresh set of downs. He completed a two-yard pass to Devin Duvernay and then had a failed quarterback sneak before Williams missed a wide-open DJ Moore in the back of the end zone on fourth down.

“There was a couple times there on silent cadence that we weren’t quite as efficient as we needed to be on that last drive,” Johnson said. “That’s one that Caleb would like to have back. We’ve gotta hook up on that.”

Despite the inconsistent play, Johnson didn’t think it was all bad for Williams. He said Williams was very efficient with the football early and led many of the team’s explosive plays.

“There’s a couple that we talked about that need to be automatic here at this point, halfway through the season, that we missed on, and so we’re going to keep on working through that process, and I think we’re going to be in good shape,” Johnson said. “I did think he took a step forward here this week.”

Chicago Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze (15), left, makes a catch against Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey (44) during the first half an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 26, 2025, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

On challenging players to fix mistakes

Johnson challenged his players during his postgame press conference Sunday after the Bears put together another undisciplined showing. Chicago committed 11 penalties for 79 yards that disrupted momentum in all three phases of the game.

He told reporters Sunday that the coaches had repeated the need for players to play with more discipline for much of the offseason and season. Now it was up to the captains and veteran leaders to hold the players accountable to Johnson’s standards.

“Now that we lost a game and penalties were a big culprit as to why we didn’t have the success we wanted to, I think it really opens Pandora’s box up here where, ‘hey, all hands on deck here, we’ve got to get this thing fixed,’” Johnson said Monday. “We’ve been harping on it as a coaching staff, and when it results in a loss, I think it just magnifies the issue that was at hand.”

It wasn’t the first time Johnson has challenged the Bears since he took over as coach over the offseason. Johnson made headlines when he told the first-team offense to get off the field when it couldn’t get set up correctly during one of the first practices of training camp. He also challenged players after a Week 2 blowout loss to the Detroit Lions, saying they weren’t practicing at a championship level.

Johnson wants leaders to call out other players if they see that someone isn’t practicing to their standards. He didn’t doubt that they’d get the message.

“I think they’re as fed up with it as everyone is in the building, and so they understand it’s just not what good football teams do,” Johnson said. “And I think they’re going to take ownership of it. I think we’re going to be just fine.”

On some major injuries

The Bears didn’t get good injury news Monday after some players got hurt Sunday.

Johnson announced that second-round pick defensive tackle Shemar Turner tore his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and that he would be out for the remainder of the season. Turner got hurt on a play in the second quarter and had to be carted off the sideline to the team’s locker room.

The rookie has had tough injury luck early in his career. Turner hurt his ankle during the first training camp practice and missed a majority of camp. The injury delayed the start of Turner’s career, but he started to make an impact recently as the Bears used him more as a defensive end. He appeared in five games this season and had six tackles, two for a loss.

“We were really excited to see what this next half of the season was going to look like as he continued to develop in that role,” Johnson said. “So yeah, it’s a shame that we’re going to miss out on him. He has a physical presence and demeanor about him that you really appreciate. He plays the game the way we want, really all three phases to play. He loves football, and I know he’ll attack this rehab the right way.”

Johnson said defensive end Dominique Robinson would be out for a few weeks with a high-ankle injury after he was hurt on Sunday’s opening kickoff. Rookie wide receiver Luther Burden III was also in concussion protocol as he suffered one Sunday, while wide receiver Olamide Zaccheaus was considered day-to-day with a knee injury.

“There’s a couple that we talked about that need to be automatic here at this point, halfway through the season, that we missed on and so we’re going to keep on working through that process and I think we’re going to be in good shape. I did think he took a step forward here this week.”

—  Ben Johnson, Chicago Bears head coach

Chicago will get some reinforcements on the defensive line. Johnson confirmed that defensive end Austin Booker would be activated off injured reserve before his 21-day window to return closes Tuesday. Booker would remain on injured reserve for the rest of the season if the Bears don’t activate him by the deadline.

Michal Dwojak

Michal Dwojak

Michal covers the Chicago Bears for Shaw Local and also serves as the company's sports enterprise reporter. He previously covered the CCL/ESCC for Friday Night Drive and other prep sports for the Northwest Herald. Michal previously served as the sports editor for the Glenview Lantern, Northbook Tower and Malibu Surfside News.