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NFC North shake-up: Parsons trade, Week 1 forecasts & Bears' Top 100 snub | 1st & North
On this episode of "1st and North," Lou Canellis and NFC North insiders react to the Micah Parsons trade to the Packers and what it means for the NFC North and NFL. They debate if it's Super Bowl or bust for the Packers and whether Parsons will suit up against the Lions. There's buzz about Justin Jefferson possibly playing against the Bears and Adam Thielen returning to Minnesota after his Panthers trade. Plus, they point out the NFL Top 100 List has zero Bears, share final Week 1 predictions, and discuss key game strategies for each NFC North team.
Ben Johnson gave a quick look into his mind in the middle of the night.
In the NFC North, and across the Chicago Bears' schedule in 2025, there are plenty of defenses that can make game days difficult to prepare for. But, Johnson is stressing about what's inside his own house, compared to anyone ekse.
"That's what keeps me up at night, making sure all our horses are fed," Johnson said about getting his skill players the ball.
The next handful of days will be key for the Chicago Bears. Johnson will figure out how to piece together his offense in Week 1.
The Bears' 2025 season-opener, in primetime on Monday Night Football no less, approaches, and the clock is ticking until Johnson's Bears offense finally takes the field.
What will that offense officially look like? That's to be determined as the Bears will decide how much to put on Caleb Williams' plate on Monday night.
"Everyone on this offense is going to have to carry the load at some point here (in) this game," Johnson said Wednesday. "We'll see over the course of the week what that looks like."
Still, given what Johnson has seen weekly during camp and during game weeks heading into the preseason games, the Bears go about their preparation in a way that instills confidence in their rookie head coach.
This includes Williams, as he prepares for a Vikings test that plans to harangue and harass him with consistent pressure for as much as they can for 60 minutes.
Big picture view:
Williams remembers the last time he faced the Vikings on Monday Night Football.
The Bears quarterback was sacked twice, but that pales in comparison to the 15 pressures he felt on his 34 total drop backs. The Vikings made that Monday difficult for Williams. Defensive coordinator Brian Flores wants to do it again.
Minnesota's defense will do what it can to get as many one-on-one matchups as it can in the pass rush, and when they rush the passer the Vikings do it with a numbers advantage.
"They blitz more than any other team on any down," Williams said. "They load up the box. They want as many rushers rushing at the QB."
This means the Bears' offensive line will feel the pressure from the numbers Flores will send. That tests starting left tackle Braxton Jones, who needs to perform consistently well to keep job, and the re-made interior that includes Drew Dalman, Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson.
It also tests Williams, who got into a game of cat and mouse with veteran Vikings safety Harrison Smith last year. Williams and Smith went back and forth in checking into different plays before the snap. Add that to the list of things Williams has to do before the snap, with Johnson's consistent pre-snap motions and Williams' own pre-snap reads.
The Bears will have to figure out how much of that Williams can handle in Week 1, but the quarterback himself hasn't wavered in his trust in his coach.
"I got the utmost confidence in Ben, his coaching ability, his playcalling and all of that," Williams said. "It comes down to us being able to execute exactly what he puts out there for us as a team, as an offense."
Johnson reiterated that trust in Williams, and his ability.
"I feel good about where he’s at right now," Johnson said. "There’s no reason why we can’t win this year."
Dig deeper:
Still, the Bears' offense goes beyond just handling the Vikings' blitz. Some players, like tight end Cole Kmet, have seen this Minnesota defense plenty of times already since Flores took over the Minnesota defense in 2023.
At this point, it's not about what the Vikings' defense looks like. It's about what the Bears' offense will look like against that defense, and Kmet mentioned he wasn't worried about the optics around the Bears' offense.
"I know how we're going to look based on the way we practice," Kmet said. "That physicality will for sure show up."
The Bears have showcased their physicality in camp. There's no doubt the team knows it has to win that battle to have a chance to win the game.
It also helps the Bears have weapons to spread the ball around. Considering how much Williams has absorbed with Johnson teaching him, which was where Johnson said he sees the most growth in Williams this offseason, the Bears are in a position to piece together an offensive game plan for Week 1.
They'll just have to figure out what that plan looks like, which is what the first few days of practice are for. Then, Johnson can tackle his biggest worry in making sure the ball is spread evenly across his playmakers.
That'll be on display in Week 1.
"They're just going to have to come out and see it," wide receiver DJ Moore said of what the Bears' offense will look like.