Ben Johnson had his eyes on the prize throughout the Chicago Bears’ Week 1 win over the Carolina Panthers.
The Bears put on an offensive clinic against the Panthers in front of a partisan crowd at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C. The road team scored eight touchdowns in a 59-37 victory that nearly reached triple digits in total scoring.
Johnson opened up about his team’s offensive onslaught in a radio interview Monday on ESPN 1000 Chicago with announcer Jeff Joniak. The veteran broadcaster joked that he was “hoping” the Bears would consider going for a two-point conversion on one of their late touchdowns.
The Bears head coach admitted that the idea crossed his mind too.
Joniak: “At that point, I was hoping for 60. I was thinking of a two-point try at some point.”
Johnson: “I don’t think you were the only one.”
#Bears HC Ben Johnson implies he was thinking about reaching 60 points and considered going for two at the end instead of finishing Sunday vs. the Panthers with 59.
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) September 16, 2026
Absolute madman. 😂
(via @ESPN1000) https://t.co/copnjSxvkO pic.twitter.com/CIAupxHl5z
Johnson’s inner demons were surely whispering in his ear that 60 would have looked nicer in the headlines than 59. But he ultimately decided to be respectful to the Panthers rather than embarrass his opponents further for cosmetic reasons.
Last month, Johnson set a goal for the 2026 Bears to be the highest-scoring team in NFL history. Most people dismissed the second-year head coach for it and chalked it up to preseason chatter.
Based on Chicago’s Week 1 performance, Johnson’s Bears may have an outside shot.
