The Chicago Bears‘ Week one performance against the Carolina Panthers was an offensive onslaught. Ben Johnson was in his bag as his team produced 552 total yards on offense en route to a 59-37 victory in Charlotte.
Now the revered offensive guru is set to face a coach with equal “mad-science” ability on the opposite side.
The Chicago Bears face off against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 2. Johnson’s matchup with Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores will be the headline.
Flores is known for his unique and aggressive defensive scheme.
This was on full display in the Vikings’ Week one battle with the Green Bay Packers, where they dismantled Matt LaFleur’s offense in the second half.
The Vikings had the highest defensive blitz percentage through Sunday, according to Pro Football Focus.
They blitzed at 82.1%…
For reference, the next highest was the Washington Commanders at 50.9%.
Vikings 82.1% Commanders 50.9% Jets 44.9% Ravens 43.4% Lions 43.0%
Both coaches have aggressive and creative tendencies in their playcalling, and both were highly efficient in Week one. Week two’s outcome will come down to which coach’s unit operates better.
Brian Flores Preparing For ‘Chess-Match’ Battle With Ben Johnson
Flores spoke on the upcoming matchup in a recent press conference.
“There’s a chess match every week,” Flores stated.
“We just had that with, you know, one of the other top play callers, Matt [LaFleur]. Every week it’s a challenge; you know, Ben [Johnson]’s certainly a challenge. I mean, any type of offense that’s out there, whether it’s ground and pound, where it’s, you know, running shoot, whether it’s RPO, whether it’s, you know, four-by-one, he’s got it. And so, what are we getting week to week? It’s hard to know. And so a lot of the game is adjustments…We’re going to have our own game plan to start things off, and it’s the same thing on his end…It’s certainly a chess match. One of the things I love about coaching defense in this division, really in the whole NFC, you know whether it’s Ben or LaFleur…it’s a lot of fun. And it’s a major challenge, and that’s what we all signed up for.”
Bears vs. Vikings Matchups Last Season All Came Down To The Wire
Based on their matchups from last season, Week two could come down to the wire. Both games in 2025 were decided by three points or less in the fourth quarter.
After the Bears were up 17-6 in the third quarter of their Week one matchup with the Vikings last season, Flores’ defense shut down Chicago’s offense in the second half. Ben Johnson’s Chicago debut was spoiled by Flores’ Vikings, as the lack of offense allowed Minnesota to rally back for a 27-24 Prime Time victory.
Now, given, Chicago’s offense was not what it would become over the course of the 2025 season during that first loss.
However, that can’t be said for their next matchup.
In Week 11, two weeks after the Bears’ offensive eruption during a 47-42 victory against the Bengals, Flores’ defense held Chicago to 19 points.
Caleb Williams was limited to 193 passing yards and no touchdowns. However, Chicago’s run game, led by D’Andre Swift, helped the Bears secure the win on a last-second field goal.
In their two matchups, the coaching rivals have split, each having success against the other.
Round one in 2026 is sure to be fireworks, as both will have to bring their best in order to get the upper hand in the early portion of the season.
Bears’ Ben Johnson Gets ‘Sized Up’ By Vikings’ Brian Flores Before Week 2 Clash