Bears’ Ben Johnson assigns blame after playoff loss to Rams

Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson speaks to an NFL official

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Matthew Couden

By Matthew Couden

Contributing Writer

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The Chicago Bears nearly achieved another amazing win in the NFC Divisional Round, only to have their overtime hopes dashed by the Los Angeles Rams' defense.

After Caleb Williams threw an incredible touchdown pass to teammate Cole Kmet near the end of the fourth quarter, he attempted to guide his team down the field in overtime for a field goal to win.

Unfortunately, the Rams' Kam Curl was ready for a throw that was supposed to go to the Bears' DJ Moore. That interception led the Rams to get the ball back, and Matthew Stafford led his team on a game-winning field goal drive.

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As one might expect, there were plenty of individuals, including Bears fans, who blamed Moore for not getting the pass intended for him.

Los Angeles Rams players celebrate with Kam Curl after an overtime interception

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However, Bears head coach Ben Johnson took a different approach and didn't hesitate to indicate that the issues with that play were on him and the coaching staff.

"I have not studied the tape a whole lot. My last two days have been focused solely on our players," Johnson admitted, indicating the past several days were solely about players' exit interviews and other matters.

"Here's what I'll say just off the cuff about that particular play, if there was any sort of miscommunication, that's my problem. That's no one else's but mine, so I gotta do a better job coaching that up," Johnson told reporters on Wednesday.

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There were other criticisms of how Johnson coached his team in their playoff loss to the Rams, including not kicking several field goals to get points on the board and not going for a two-point conversion to potentially win the game in regulation.

During a postgame press conference after that stinging loss, Johnson admitted he did consider going for two. However, the Bears coach said he decided against it because his team wasn't performing well in situations near the end zone during the game.

The Bears' head coach performed impressively in his first season on the job after arriving from his role as offensive coordinator under coach Dan Campbell with the Detroit Lions.

It was a magical season for Chicago and its fanbase, as the team won the NFC North and earned the No. 2 seed in the NFC. The future certainly looks brighter for the franchise with Johnson at the helm of a talented roster.