Bear Digest

Are Bears facing Ben Johnson's kryptonite with a short work week?

The short work week after a Monday night game didn't do the Bears any favors in Detroit and teams, in general, struggle following Monday night games.

Gene Chamberlain

Ben Johnson on the field after his Bears were drubbed by the Lions in a short work week.
Ben Johnson on the field after his Bears were drubbed by the Lions in a short work week. / Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images
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Bears coach Ben Johnson expressed an optimistic point to ponder after beating Washington.

"Really on all three phases, we still haven't played the best football that we're capable of playing yet," Johnson said of his 3-2 team. "That's what's encouraging to me as a coach is when it's ugly, we're still finding a way to win, we're developing that belief.

"At the same time, holy cow, how far can we push this thing? Let's see how good we can really get this season."

Don't count on this week being the week for that improvement when they face New Orleans on Sunday. The goal for short work weeks in the NFL is usually survival and Ben Johnson teams usually are just as susceptible to problems resulting from a short work week as any NFL team.

This year, teams are 5-9 the following week after playing Monday night. Getting their practice days limited is not conducive to efficiency.

Johnson teams as either offensive coordinator or head coach have a 4-5 record (.444 winning percentage) with short work weeks. Considering his teams have won 72.9% of the time in games with seven days or more to prepare, it obviously seems to make a difference.

When Johnson was in Detroit, they lost to Buffalo at home on Thanksgiving and then a backbreaking loss to a losing Panthers team in a road Christmas Eve game during his first year as offensive coordinator. It went on to be the difference between a 10-7 playoff team and a team watching the playoffs.

In his second Lions season, they went 2-2 on short rest, a year they went to the NFC championship game and went 12-5 in the regular season. They split with the Packers in two games when they had four days of rest, routed Denver six days after they had lost to the

Bears 28-13 at Soldier Field, then lost at Dallas 20-19 only six days after their previous game.

In 2024, the Lions won both games on short rest, but one was the game Matt Eberflus handed to them on Thanksgiving by not calling timeout and Detroit didn't exactly play well in a 23-20 victory. Finally, they won on six days rest 31-9 over Minnesota at home to clinch the NFC North.

As Bears coach, Johnson's worst game to date was the 52-21 slaughter in Detroit and that on came on short rest after their loss in the Monday night opener to Detroit. So it's worth wondering whether Johnson needs at least a full week of practice to have a team ready to go.

Johnson credited their run game success Monday night against Washington to cutting back on the play volume while they increased formations and motion.

They may need to do some simplification again this week considering their lack of preparation time and it's impact.

"It is a short week, like you mentioned, particularly early on here it's all about getting our bodies recovered from that Monday night game," Johnson said Wednesday. "I know not everyone's feeling great right now because that was a physical ball game that we played in. But mentally, we do have a lot of work to do."

Johnson let the players come in a bit later on Wednesday to get them rest. The goal this week will be not to show up like they're still asleep when they come to Soldier Field on Sunday.

Ben Johnson in short weeks

2022 Detroit Lions

L 28-25 home vs. Buffalo (4 days)

L 37-23 at Carolina (6 days)

2023 Detroit Lions

W 34-20 at Green Bay (4 days)

L 29-22 home vs. Green Bay (4 days)

W 42-17 home vs. Denver (6 days)

L 20-19 at Dallas (6 days)

2024 Detroit Lions

W 23-20 home vs. BEARS (4 days)

W 31-9 home vs. Minnesota (6 days)

2025 BEARS

L 52-21 at Detroit (6 days)

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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.