It was the kind of decision that makes sports talk radio hosts lose their minds. In a Week 18 matchup against the Detroit Lions where the Chicago Bears had already essentially secured a high playoff seed, head coach Ben Johnson did the unthinkable. He played his starters. All of them. Even with Caleb Williams’ historic rookie passing record already within reach and the #2 seed largely locked up due to an Eagles collapse, Johnson didn't blink. He kept the gas pedal floored.
And then they lost.
A 19-16 heartbreaker on a last-second field goal. While the scoreboard showed a loss, the real firestorm started in the press room. Why risk Williams? Why subject a defense already mourning the loss of Noah Sewell to more meaningless snaps? The ben johnson bears starters criticism reached a fever pitch before the team even left the stadium. Honestly, the optics were kinda messy. You have a first-year head coach going up against his old boss, Dan Campbell, and instead of taking the safe route, he chose a street fight.
Why Ben Johnson Refused to Rest the Starters
Football isn't played in a vacuum, though critics often pretend it is. Johnson’s logic was basically a mirror of the culture he helped build in Detroit. He told reporters point-blank: "Some teams, they rest their starters. We don't. We play football." It sounds like a cliché. It sounds like something a coach says right before a catastrophic injury happens. But to Johnson, this wasn't about one game against Detroit; it was about the fundamental identity of a franchise that hasn't won anything in decades.
You've got to look at the momentum. The Bears were averaging nearly 28 points a game heading into that finale. Johnson feared that a week off would lead to the "mental errors" that eventually plagued them in the first half of that Lions game anyway. He noted that in the first 11 plays, the offense had six mental mistakes. Imagine if they hadn't played at all? He saw a young team—led by a rookie quarterback—that didn't have the luxury of "turning it on" like a veteran squad might.
The Dan Campbell Influence
It’s no secret that Johnson is a Dan Campbell disciple. Campbell has a "pissed off" mentality regardless of the standings. When the Lions showed up to Soldier Field in Week 18, they were already eliminated from the playoffs. They had "nothing" to play for. Yet, they fought like it was the Super Bowl. Johnson knew that. He knew if he sent out a bunch of backups, he wasn't just risking a loss; he was teaching his young stars that some games don't matter. In Ben’s world, every snap matters.
The Injury Risk vs. The Rhythm Reward
The loudest part of the ben johnson bears starters criticism involves the health of Caleb Williams. We’ve seen it before: a star goes down in a "meaningless" game and a season evaporates. Critics pointed to the torn Achilles suffered by Noah Sewell just weeks prior as a warning sign. The Bears defense was already thin. Why push it?
Here is what the "rest the starters" crowd usually misses:
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- Chemistry isn't permanent: Williams and his receivers were still fine-tuning timing.
- The #2 Seed Stakes: While they eventually got it, they needed to keep pace with Philadelphia.
- Post-Game Hangover: Going into the playoffs off a loss is bad, but going in off a "placeholder" game can be worse for a team's psyche.
The irony is that the offense looked stagnant for three quarters. Johnson himself admitted he wasn't pleased with the performance. He called out the unit for three-and-outs and poor pad level. But he also used that "bad feeling" as a catalyst. Instead of entering the Wild Card round against Green Bay with a sense of complacency, the Bears entered it angry.
The Rivalry Factor Nobody Talks About
We have to talk about the Packers. Because Ben Johnson certainly did. Part of the reason he was so adamant about playing his guys was to ensure they were sharp for a potential (and eventually realized) matchup with Green Bay. Johnson has turned the Chicago-Green Bay rivalry into a personal vendetta. He famously said he "enjoys beating Matt LaFleur twice a year."
When you're trying to re-energize a dormant rivalry that has been one-sided for years, you don't take weeks off. You don't "manage" outcomes. You play to win every single time. Some call it "un-classy." Others, mostly in Chicago, call it exactly what the city has been waiting for since 1985. The "Revolutionary War-level hatred" Johnson has stirred up requires a team that is always battle-ready.
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Acknowledging the Counter-Argument
Was it a mistake? If Caleb Williams had twisted an ankle, Ben Johnson would be the most hated man in Illinois right now. That's the reality of the NFL. It’s a results-based business. The criticism is valid because the risk is massive. However, Johnson isn't a "cheerleader" coach. He’s a "say it like it is" coach. He’d rather lose playing his way than win playing scared.
What This Means for the Bears Moving Forward
The ben johnson bears starters criticism eventually died down because of what happened next: the Bears obliterated the Packers in the playoffs after trailing 21-3. That second-half comeback—scoring 25 points in the fourth quarter—doesn't happen if the team doesn't have the "no panic" conditioning Johnson insisted on in Week 18. They were "built for pressure" because they had been under it seven days prior against a physical Lions team.
If you’re watching this Bears team, don't expect them to change. This is the blueprint. Johnson is aggressive. He’s stubborn. He’s probably going to keep playing starters in Week 18 for as long as he’s in Chicago.
Next Steps for Fans and Analysts:
- Watch the Snap Counts: Moving forward, look at how Johnson manages "load" in the middle of the season rather than the end. He prefers mid-season rotation over late-season resting.
- Monitor the Injury Report: The Sewell injury changed the defensive scheme; watch how Johnson and DC Dennis Allen adjust the linebacker rotation in high-pressure games.
- Evaluate the "Post-Lions" Bounce: Always judge Johnson’s Week 18 decisions by the Week 1 performance in the playoffs. If the rhythm is there, the decision was right.
The debate over resting starters will never end. It's a fundamental philosophical divide in football. But for Ben Johnson, the choice is already made. He’s going to play. He’s going to be aggressive. And he’s definitely not going to apologize for it.