Ben Johnson must fix 'troubling' issue for Bears after win over Packers

The Chicago Bears are coming off one of the more improbable wins of the 2025 season so far. So many things bounced their way, literally, and Ben Johnson's Bears just barely squeaked by the Green Bay Packers.

Now that the Bears are officially in the playoffs and with a strong chance to win the NFC North, there is one major issue that Ben Johnson and the Bears need to address ASAP.

Courtney Cronin of ESPN highlighted the biggest issue present from the big win over the Packers: penalties. Chicago had 10 penalties, and come playoff time, that's far too many, and could lead the Bears to a heartbreaking playoff defeat this season.

Bears' Ben Johnson must fix this issue with team before playoffs

"The Bears were their own worst enemy at times with 10 penalties for 105 yards." Cronin writes. "It was the first time since 2000 that the Bears had two roughing the passer penalties and two unnecessary roughness penalties in the same game, according to ESPN research."

The penalties the Bears took, 10 total, counting for 105 total yards, will likely be far too much to deal with most teams going forward.

Chicago got lucky with an onside kick recovery, Jordan Love getting hurt, and the Packers collapsing in a major way at key moments down the stretch.

While the Bears might get to face the Packers at the start of the NFL playoffs, relying on those mistakes and miraculous moments to eke out a win would be a mistake.

More: Packers vs. Bears final score, result: Chicago stuns Green Bay to move one step closer to NFC North crown

One way to avoid such a dire situation is to limit their penalties. Playing more disciplined is a big issue to address as the final two regular-season games are played.

They've already punched their ticket to the playoffs, but securing the NFC North and a top seed is still far from a guarantee. Chicago needs to fix this issue; otherwise, their incredible 2025 season could come to a close abruptly in the playoffs.

The Bears likely won't be able to cut down on their penalties completely, but Johnson needs to coach up the team better to ensure they play cleaner and more disciplined football as the playoffs near.

Johnson and the Bears will have two weeks to improve their penalty issues before the playoffs. These final two weeks will be huge for the Bears as they try to practice better discipline for the playoffs when every play matters so much.

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