The Chicago Bears improved to 2-2 on Sunday with a thrilling win over the Las Vegas Raiders, but first-year head coach Ben Johnson is taking heat for his behavior on the sideline.
Before the second half of the Bears-Raiders game started, CBS Sports sideline reporter Aditi Kinkhabwala spoke to Johnson about his team’s halftime adjustments. Chicago was trailing 14-9 and had just 90 yards of total offense.
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Kinkhabwala asked Johnson, “Do you need to change what you’re doing?” Clearly, he didn’t appreciate that question. The offensive-minded coach responded: “I don’t know, you think so? We’re gonna be just fine.”
It was pretty evident that Johnson was ready to wrap up his brief chat with Kinkhabwala.
Sep 28, 2025; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson looks on from the sideline during the second half against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
Johnson regrets his behavior.
During this Monday’s news conference, Johnson was asked about his unusual interview with Kinkhabwala.
Johnson claims he was in “game mode” while speaking to Kinkhabwala. He didn’t mean to come off as disrespectful.
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“In the moment, I honestly didn’t think too much of it,” Johnson told reporters, via ESPN. “I’m kind of in game mode. But when I look back at it, I am a little bit disappointed with what that looks like. I didn’t hear very well and that’s not an excuse, but when I thought I heard, it was not a question, but I needed to make some changes, I didn’t take that very well, so I’ll do a better job with those going forward.”
Johnson wasn’t just disappointed with his halftime interview, he was frustrated by Chicago’s offensive struggles.
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“When you look at it as a whole, it was just a mess, man,” Johnson said. “I’m just not proud of what we put on tape. I think it’s a reflection of myself. I always take it personally. I saw us getting better the first three weeks in a lot of ways on offense, and then this was just a little bit of a step back for us. Like I said, the bye week is coming at a good time, and we’re really going to be able to take a good look at ourselves and do a little soul searching. It’s always good when you play that poorly and yet you’re still able to come away with a win.”
The Bears will enjoy a bye week before they’re back in action on Oct. 13 against the Washington Commanders.
This story was originally reported by The Spun on Sep 30, 2025, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add The Spun as a Preferred Source by clicking here.