Chicago Bears coach Ben Johnson admitted that he erred on the team’s final play in their loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
The Bears had one chance to get a game-winning touchdown on 2nd and goal with five seconds left in Sunday’s 42-38 loss at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Ca. Quarterback Caleb Williams was forced outside of the pocket almost immediately and was unable to find a target in the end zone as time ran out.
THE NINERS WIN. WHAT A GAME. pic.twitter.com/3ndM5VUnSq
— NFL (@NFL) December 29, 2025
On Monday, Johnson took the blame for not getting the playcall to Williams quickly enough to allow him to have success.
“We didn’t quite get aligned in the formation we wanted to,” Johnson said. “It’s on me. I didn’t give him the call fast enough, and so he’s trying to piecemeal it together. I gotta do a better job on that.”
Ben Johnson on the Bears' final play: "We didn't quite get aligned in the formation we wanted to. It's on me. I didn't give (Caleb Williams) the call fast enough, and so he's trying to piecemeal it together. I gotta do a better job on that."
— CHGO Bears (@CHGO_Bears) December 29, 2025
The Bears also received some criticism for their clock management late in the game. Johnson did not use his timeouts until the final minute of the fourth quarter, and the Bears may have been able to take more shots at the end zone had he used them earlier. In addition, the play that set up first and goal ran 16 seconds off the clock before Williams could spike the ball.
This is not the first time Johnson’s clock management in a late-game situation has been questioned this year. It is good that these lessons are being learned before the playoffs, but the important thing is that he does not keep making the same mistakes.
Chicago’s loss on Sunday eliminated them from the race for the NFC’s top seed. They can still lock down the No. 2 seed if they beat the Detroit Lions in Week 18.
