NFL Hall of Famer Jared Allen knows the NFC North division very well during his time with the Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears. Following Minnesota’s 27-24 comeback win over Chicago, Allen had plenty to say about the Bears — and he actually saw some positive from Chicago in their late-game collapse.
Appearing on the “Up and Adams” with Kay Adams, Allen had plenty of praise for Vikings first-year starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy, who led Minnesota to their comeback victory. But he also saw good things for the Bears’ future.
Up until the fourth quarter, Chicago looked much different than their 2024 team, but then penalties, poor offense, and a tired defense would ultimately cost them their lead and the victory. However, for Allen, this wasn’t the same old Bears team in his eyes.
“To be honest with you, I thought they looked really, really good,” Allen said. “I think a few things changed, the missed field goal that put the Vikings back in relatively good position, and they go down and they score. They have two bad experiences that compound and you saw the confidence wain. All of a sudden Caleb Williams seemed to be holding the ball longer, I think he still needs to get the ball out quicker. You rely on your experiences and Caleb Williams and a lot of those guys from last year have a lot of negative experiences.”
Allen also mentioned what fans know well — how, in recent history, the Bears haven’t had good experiences when it comes to winning close games late.
“Chicago Bears as a whole have negative experiences when it comes to winning those tough games, and that’s going to be something that the new coaching staff and Team President Kevin Warren that’s a culture they’re going to have to change,” Allen said. “You can only change that through winning and bringing in guys that know how to win. Whether you got to have Lovie Smith come talk to the team, you got to do something to remind those guys that you can win, and Chicago is a place that should be feared to come play in and that is a storied franchise. Those hard-nose games, that’s what the North is about, and you’re going to be in them, so you better win them.”
Reestablishing a winning culture in Chicago is going to be one of the top priorities for new head coach Ben Johnson and this coaching staff, and a big part of that is getting quarterback Caleb Williams and the offense up to par with his new system.