Ben Johnson’s immediate reaction to Chicago Bears vs. Miami Dolphins preseason tie

Ben Johnson has now coached his first game with the Chicago Bears. He’s still looking for his first win, and loss to be fair, as the Bears tied the Miami Dolphins 24-24.

Chicago decided to rest many of their starters, including quarterback Caleb Williams. The Week 1 preseason matchup was an opportunity for numerous roster hopefuls to make a name for themselves. Players like defensive end Austin Booker, who recorded three sacks, certainly did.

Johnson and the Bears aren’t satisfied with earning a tie. However, their first live game action of 2025 gave the head coach a clear view of Chicago’s growing mentality, via the team’s postgame press conference.

“It’s hard to assess the feeling in the locker room after a tie like that. Those guys went out there and they laid it out. All those guys that were active, they did a great job,” Johnson said. “Going out there and competing, you just don’t know how to feel when it ends up being 24-24, doesn’t matter if it’s preseason or not. You’re going out there, they’re keeping score and you’re playing to win.”

“They did a phenomenal job. The effort was there, the intensity was there throughout. A number of guys, knowing that there were no reserves behind them, they really fought through a lot,” Johnson continued. “That’s what stood out to me. It makes you proud as a coach when you see the guys go out there and give everything they’ve got.”

Johnson specifically named Jonathan Ford, Zacch Pickens, Tre Flowers and Josh Blackwell as players who were able to battle through adversity and showed their true toughness against the Dolphins. Overall, the head coach is seeing the Bears come together as one. There were a few miscues that he admits led to the tie. But Chicago is embracing the culture Johnson is attempting to foster in the Windy City.

“We’re halfway through camp and the team chemistry is really coming together,” Johnson concluded. “At times we played with the physical nature we keep talking about and practicing towards. It comes down to making some plays there at the end of the game. Offensively, we had some chances.

Chicago Bears tie Miami Dolphins 24-24

With Williams sitting, Tyson Bagent earned the start. He completed 13-of-19 passes for 103 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Bagent was eventually replaced by veteran Case Keenum, who completed 8-of-10 passes for 80 yards and two touchdowns. The pair should continue battling for the right to backup Williams throughout the preseason.

Rookie Kyle Monangai lived up the hype in his preseason NFL debut, rushing for 30 yards on six carries. Averaging five yards per carry will only earn him more opportunities in Johnson’s offense. In terms of fellow rookies, Luther Burden caught two passes for 29 yards while Colston Loveland had one grab for eight yards. Undrafted free agent Jahdae Walker led the way with three grabs for 41 yards and a touchdown. Walker will look to continue making a name for himself in Week 2 as the fellow rookies get further acclimated to Johnson’s offense.

Defensively, the Bears held the Dolphins to 272 yards total. They forced a pair of fumbles and came away with six sacks total. Tua Tagovailoa did complete 5-of-6 passes for 27 yards and De’Von Achane gained 22 yards on his three carries. There is still plenty that Chicago can improve, but their first taste of preseason action shined the spotlight on the defense.

The Bears will next gear up for a matchup against the Buffalo Bills. They’ll look to fix the errors they learned from this game and continue maximizing their strengths. Furthermore, Johnson wants to earn his first victory with the team.