The Chicago Bears looked like a well-oiled machine heading into their Week 5 matchup at Lambeau Field. A few hours after kickoff, however, they walked off the field following a humiliating defeat to their longtime rival. The performance featured poor execution, missed opportunities on third down, and five turnovers that gave the Packers short fields to work with.
Head coach Ben Johnson has turned his attention to Atlanta and the Bears’ Week 6 matchup against the Falcons. However, when speaking to the media, he outlined his biggest concerns with the team so far this season. The biggest takeaway was clear: Chicago must take care of the football and play more consistently to return to its best form.
“Our playstyle needs to show up on a regular basis … We’ve had more three-and-outs than we would like. The turnovers were a major issue last game. It’s getting back to what we did all through camp and how we started the first week of the season. I don’t know that we’ve done that at a consistent level since then,” Johnson said.
Consistency and Basic Execution Are Not Optional
Dan Powers USAToday Network via IMAGN images
Entering Week 5, the Bears had committed only five turnovers all season. On Sunday, they matched that total in a single game, throwing three interceptions and losing two fumbles. Johnson’s offense thrives on big plays, but not when those plays benefit the opposing defense. Chicago also converted just 4 of 14 third-down attempts, compounding an already dreadful offensive performance at Lambeau Field.
The struggles resulted in an EPA per play of -0.311, which ranked 26th, and a success rate of 39.1%, which ranked 21st. The good news is that Chicago still has plenty of football ahead to address these issues. Unfortunately, the Bears have already fallen into a 0-2 hole in the NFC North race.
Dating back to 2025, Johnson’s Bears are 2-6 in regular-season divisional games. Consistency can be difficult to maintain in these matchups because divisional opponents know each other so well. Teams often build their rosters and game plans to counter the strengths of their divisional rivals, leaving little room for mistakes.
Sunday’s loss showed that the Packers were prepared for Chicago’s ground attack and were not intimidated by the Bears’ backup quarterbacks. Caleb Williams’ presence might have helped the offense convert more third downs, but turnovers and poor execution played a bigger role in the Week 5 collapse.
Now, the Bears are back on the road and face another opportunity to get back on track. To meet Johnson’s expectations in Week 6, Chicago must protect the football, execute the fundamentals, and deliver a more consistent performance against Atlanta. Otherwise, the same issues that plagued the Bears against Green Bay could follow them into another critical NFC matchup.
