Sports newsletter
What we heard from the Bears after the Week 2 loss — and from ND's Marcus Freeman on his defense
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Tuesday, September 16, 2025

Good morning, Chicago.

After his first game as an NFL head coach, Ben Johnson mainly fielded questions about Bears quarterback Caleb Williams’ shaky performance.

A week later, it’s his defense that has raised red flags.

The Bears hired Johnson in part for his offensive mind. But after the defense gave up seven touchdowns and 511 yards — while generating no sacks — during the Lions’ 52-21 romp Sunday at Ford Field, Johnson answered for the defense during a video conference with reporters Monday.

“We got outgained by a significant number of yards,” said Johnson, who said the defense didn’t resemble the unit he saw during training camp. “It really came down to I think 10 explosive plays for over 300 yards. That’s not what we want to be about.”

After a 31-point loss to start the season 0-2, defensive tackle Grady Jarrett said teammates on his side of the ball have had conversations about “how we let this happen and what we’ve got to do to get this better — and that’s a positive thing about it.”

“It was not something that we just are sweeping it under the rug,” he said. “We’re going to address that. It’s actually inexcusable and it’s not up to the standards of what this defense is going to be.

“This will be a defining moment. We’re going to make sure this defines us in the right way by season’s end and not let that happen again.”

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