Like it or not, coaches and players often define the success or failure of their careers by what happens in certain games. Lovie Smith said the first priority of his head coaching tenure was to beat Green Bay. He knew the Packers had tortured the Chicago Bears for years with Brett Favre. Beating them was crucial to getting this team back on track. Sure enough, the Bears took their rivals down 21-10 in the second game of Smith's first season. That win set the tone for what was to follow. Confidence grew inside the building, and by the next season, the Bears were winning. Ben Johnson faces another such signature moment, and he may not fully grasp it.
Nobody disputes the fact that the Hail Mary loss in Washington last year ruined the Bears' season. Players never really got over what happened, completely baffled and heartbroken by it all. They lost ten straight games after that. Now, this team, made up mostly of the same players, must return to the scene of what happened on Monday Night Football. Some wonder if they're up for the mental challenges that come with it. Much depends on whether Johnson can prepare them. Based on his latest comments, he's careful not to dwell on the past, even if that might be what's needed.
"You'd have to talk to those guys about it. We're a new team. We're just focused on winning this game this week."
Ben Johnson must understand what this game could mean.
Losing to the Commanders would only reaffirm what many felt about the Bears. They still aren't mentally tough enough. Washington isn't more talented than they are. It is a simple case of them wanting it more. That is what winners do. Ben Johnson needs to change his team's mindset. Part of that is getting them to believe in his vision. Exorcizing the demons of last year with a win against a good team would be his Smith-Packers moment. He'd push the Bears to 3-2, improve their wild card standing, and get them believing they have what it takes to hang with anybody in the league. Few things are more powerful in professional sports than belief. Johnson may not have been there last season, but he has every reason to embrace what happened.
