On a cold October evening in Maryland, the Bears—sitting at 4-2 and buzzing with hope—watched suburb-by-suburb their playoff dreams begin to unravel in one surreal moment. The ball sailed high, time expired, the crowd erupted, and an unlikely rookie quarterback delivered a game-winning Hail Mary. There, on the sideline, the gaze of Chicago’s defense said more than words ever could. The vibe around Halas Hall shifted. A season of promise morphed into one of warning.

Nine months later, a second moment of reckoning arrived: a trick play in Detroit, executed by a coach who would soon become the head coach of the Bears. That play crystallized everything broken about the team—and set the stage for leadership change.

These two plays, far apart in time, share a thread. They exposed a franchise starved for discipline, clarity, accountability—and they opened the door for a new era under Ben Johnson.

The First Moment: Hail Mary Horror in Washington

In late October 2024, the Bears traveled to take on the Washington Commanders. Up 15-10, time winding down, the Bears defense allowed a 52-yard tipped-ball touchdown as time expired. Cornerback Tyrique Stevenson was caught turning his back on the play—his helmet turned toward the sideline, his eyes away from the ball. It was a rookie mistake on a veteran stage. fox32chicago.com

For the Bears, the moment was both literal and symbolic. They were in the game, ready to win, but one lapse erased weeks of work. The staff and front-office realized this wasn’t just a bad throw or a missed blitz—it was a sign that the culture wasn’t where it needed to be. The lack of focus, leadership, and individual accountability all bubbled up in one snapshot.

After the loss, the team’s slide accelerated: ten straight defeats, a last-place finish in the NFC North, and the eventual firing of head coach Matt Eberflus. That Hail Mary moment was the flick of the domino. fox32chicago.com

The Second Moment: “Stumblebum” in Detroit

Fast-forward to December 2024, the Bears facing the Detroit Lions at home. Detroit’s offensive coordinator at the time: Ben Johnson. Knowing the Bears’ weaknesses—especially in linebacker coverage—Johnson dialed up a trick play: a “fake fall” by quarterback Jared Goff, a tumbling running back, a swing to wide-open tight end Sam LaPorta in the end zone. Chaos. Touchdown. Instant dagger. fox32chicago.com+1

That play didn’t just count on the scoreboard—it counted in the minds of Chicago’s front office. The message was clear: we’re here to beat you in your own backyard, and we’re exploiting your flaws. Johnson had shown he could dissect the Bears’ breakdowns and deliver a knockout punch.

In the years to come, that play became part of the lore of why the Bears went looking for Johnson—not just for offense, but for culture. The front office said afterwards that Johnson’s creativity and blueprint were key in their search. fox32chicago.com+1

Unpacking the Significance

1. Cultural Breakdown
Both plays exposed deep issues: senior players not stepping up, coaching not teaching the details, and execution faltering under pressure. The Hail Mary showed mental lapses; the trick play showed schematic vulnerability. The Bears were reactive, not proactive.
2. Coaching & Accountability
The front office realized that the coaching staff couldn’t just show up—they needed to instill discipline. The fact that one coach from Detroit had just exposed Chicago’s weakness made the need for change urgent.
3. Search for Identity
These moments forced the Bears into a reflection: What do we stand for? What method do we buy into? The answer led them to the man currently holding the clipboard, redesigning the offense and culture under his own name: Ben Johnson.
4. The Hiring of Johnson
On January 21, 2025, the Bears officially announced Ben Johnson as their head coach. Johnson, 38, came from Detroit, and was lauded for his innovative offense and leadership. Reuters The two aforementioned plays are cast now as symbolic turning points that cleared the way for that hiring.
5. The Weight of Expectations
Not just to win games, but to change the tone. Johnson’s assignment isn’t merely to install an offense. It’s to erase the mental breakdowns, the sloppy coverages, the trick-play susceptibility. Those two plays — more than 300 and 90 minutes of football — are shorthand for why the rebuild is non-negotiable.

What Johnson Brings

Johnson’s offensive philosophy is well documented. He emphasizes motion, play-action, and attacking the middle of the field—not simply deep shots. marqueesportsnetwork.com+1 He also won’t shy away from holding players accountable for alignment, focus, mental reps—the precise areas where the two defining plays exposed the Bears. In interviews, he has stressed physicality, tempo, and discipline. chicagobears.com

In short, Johnson is the answer the Bears believe fits the question posed by those two plays.

The Human Dimension

For players like Stevenson, LaPorta, and others, these plays are etched. For fans, they’re scars. For the front office, they’re proof. The locker room heard the message: the mistakes we make in glory moments bleed into the next season. Johnson will walk in knowing very clearly what he’s up against.

As Johnson said at the NFL Owners meetings: we’re building more than an offense—we’re building a competitive environment. chicagobears.com And for Chicago, the stakes are high: this isn’t just about winning again—it’s about not making those plays that defined the past nine months.