Bear Digest

Ben Johnson's promise puts Bears on notice against 1-5 Saints

Letdowns against the Saints? It's a week-to-week league the Bears say but if they need added incentive there are some reasons they should be concerned.
Gene Chamberlain|
Putting the wild victory scene and revenge against the Washington Commanders in unlikely circumstances behind is the Bears' challenge this week.
Putting the wild victory scene and revenge against the Washington Commanders in unlikely circumstances behind is the Bears' challenge this week. | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

Bears coach Ben Johnson made a promise and it's not like many you've heard Chicago Bears coaches of recent vintage make.

Coach Kellen Moore's New Orleans Saints are coming to Soldier Field Sunday with their 1-5 record while the hometown team basks in the glow of their prime-time win over Washington and a 3-2 record.

"They continue to ascend," Johnson said Wednesday about the Saints. "So, we won't overlook this opponent."

Get out the yellow marker for that one and remember he said it.

Somehow, after the emotional big win in Washington at game's end, a letdown seems inevitable for the Bears.

It doesn't matter who the opponent is, but conveniently or not it's a 1-5 Saints team that only beat the Giants in quarterback Jaxson Dart's second start.

"This is a team that we're about to play that, they have a lot of veteran players that have played at a high level and are a prideful group," Johnson said. "I probably watched to this point a lot more defense than I have at their offense, but I have a lot of respect for how they play."

The mere fact a Bears coach can say they won't overlook someone is actually cause for celebration because they have usually been the 1-5 team.

It's a promise all the Bears say they'll keep but talk on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays is cheap and it's Sunday at noon that counts.

"This is a good football team that's on the rise," Johnson said of the Saints. "That's No. 1. And No. 2, like when we have our team meeting here, it's going to be pretty clear that what's in the past is in the past and we're only focused on this week."

Quarterback Caleb Williams is already building up the opponent like Johnson has.

“Their record does not show what type of team they are," Williams said. "That's not something that we're going to underestimate. We're not going to try and take advantage–they're a good team. This is also the National Football League. Going into this with the right mindset is what we will have and what we will do. Understanding the opportunity, we have to be able to go out here execute the way we need to be able to come out four and two.”

To a large extent they are right about the Saints.

It's hard to see how they would overlook anyone for their part because they are one Josh Blackwell blocked field goal and one field goal by backup kicker Jake Moody away from being a 1-4 team. Also, they're facing the team that fired defensive coordinator Dennis Allen from his head coaching job.

Also, Williams' counterpart with the Saints might be on some sort of vendetta for all anyone knows.

Saints QB Spencer Rattler was the Oklahoma starter Williams supplanted and then he didn't even stay at the school after a year while Rattler left for South Carolina.

"We haven't really spoke much," Williams said. "I mean, I don't really speak to (Buccaneers QB) Baker (Mayfield) and all those other (Oklahoma) guys that much anyways.

"I know Spencer was with me. We don't really keep up that much, but excited for the matchup. I know he's excited and we're going to go out there and have a blast."

The Saints lost four games to teams with 4-2 records and only have two losses by more than a touchdown and conversion–to the Bills and Seahawks. Their lone win over the Giants, 26-14, was a tight game they pulled away and took in the second half.

The Bears know all about such games after three straight wins with two coming in the closing seconds.

It's going to be a case where the Bears need to remember what they were talking about last week when they had to forget their win over the Raiders. 

"But it's a week-to-week league, so that win was a good win," linebacker T.J. Edwards said. "But it's time that we have to go prove it all over again.”

If they do, it would be tough to make it any closer than the last two.  Maybe after consecutive wins by the odd 25-24 score, they could start with a different score to the game.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.