Bear Digest

Chicago Bears' gambling Ben Johnson set to let it ride in Vegas

Gambling is what Ben Johnson is known so in a way it's the Bears' coach going where he should feel really comfortable on Sunday.
Gene Chamberlain|
Ben Johnson the gambler should feel right at home in Las Vegas.
Ben Johnson the gambler should feel right at home in Las Vegas. | David Banks-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

It seems like a natural, Ben Johnson in Las Vegas.

Fortunately for the Bears, he didn't see it that way last winter when the two teams were vying for his services.

Now Johnson comes to Sin City, the gambler going to the gambling capital. He's actually been there before but his reputation for gambling comes from football.

The Bears coach gambled and lost two weeks ago in Detroit with a fourth-and-1 quarterback sneak after Caleb Williams failed one play earlier on the same play. It gave Detroit the ball in Bears territory but they escaped with three points surrendered.

The Bears are 1-for-4 on fourth down this year, worst percentage in the league. But any gambler knows you have to think the next time is the charm. On Sunday, the gambler rolled the dice again but this time on fourth-and-goal from the 4 after 18 plays on a drive with the Bears up 10.

Getting stopped could have turned the game, but Williams made it work with the step right look back and throw back to DJ Moore wide open for the touchdown. Game, set, match.

"Each week is a little bit different, but we felt really good about our selection of plays there inside the 5," Johnson said. "You know, I think part of it too is knowing that if we don’t end up executing and getting the touchdown, then we put our defense in a pretty good situation."

So Johnson didn't see it quite like the gamble it seemed. Having confidence in your defense is good, but in the opener things changed quickly with a few good Viking runs. So who knows what happens if the fourth-down gamble failed and the defense played like in the opener.

The gambler apparently has thought out the odds, though. He learned about gambling in Detroit under Dan Campbell, and the Lions had the fourth-best conversion rate last year (68.57%). The league success rate this year is 51%.

"There’s some pressure on their offense," Johnson said. "Around this league, backed-up situations don’t happen a ton for offenses. A lot of times, teams can fold under some pressure just knowing that the back line is right behind them.

"So, that’s always a good situation to have your defense in regardless. Obviously, we want to score the points there. But it’s a situation where we’re OK if we fail."

Johnson's gambles are calculated.

He sounds like a real Vegas kind of guy and has been there before.

His most memorable trip?

"Oh, I was a young buck," he said. "I got an uncle that lives out there, so we took a family trip out there. So, all I remember is Cirque du Soleil. Never forget that.

"And then that was the first time I’ve ever been to one of the hibachi restaurants, where they do it right in front of you. So, that’s about all I remember. But I was probably, shoot, third or fourth grade. Sorry, not too exciting."

And after the age of 21?

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, we’ll leave that there," he said.

What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. He'll try to make a losing Bears record stay there Sunday, too.

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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.