Ben Johnson has a chance to do the funniest thing possible against the Packers and Bears’ fans would absolutely love it
Will we see Ben Johnson dial up another trick play on Saturday?
Later tonight, the Chicago Bears will square off against the Green Bay Packers once again, this time at Soldier Field, with the top spot in the NFC North on the line.
The Bears are looking to get revenge against the Packers after falling short back in Week 14, just 13 days ago. Despite a slow start and big plays allowed defensively, the Bears rallied back in the second-half but lost that game on an interception in the end zone on the final offensive drive.
If the Bears want to flip the script on Saturday night, the team will need to start faster and cut down on the big plays defensively. And head coach Ben Johnson might even have to dig into his bag of tricks again, something that Bears’ fans would absolutely love for more reasons than one.
Ben Johnson can score more free hot dogs for Bears’ fans on Saturday against the Packers
Twice this season, the Bears have scored free hot dogs for fans from The Wieners Circle, a local hot dog joint in Chicago. The first came when quarterback Caleb Williams scored four touchdowns in Week 3 against the Dallas Cowboys. The second came when head coach Ben Johnson removed his shirt in the post-game celebration after the big Week 13 win over the Philadelphia Eagles.
On Saturday, The Wieners Circle reshared another opportunity to score free hot dogs and it’s something that Johnson should consider again on Saturday.
“If any bears defender, or offensive lineman scores a TD on a designed offensive play (not a fumble recovery) any time this season, we will once again offer free hot dogs to our customers,” The Wieners Circle posted on X back on October 9th.
Bears attempted a “big-guy touchdown” the last time they faced the Packers
As we’ve seen throughout the season, Johnson isn’t afraid to dial up the trick plays in certain situations to take advantage of the defense.
Back in Week 14, he attempted one against the Packers when swing tackle Theo Benedet reported into the game as an eligible receiver on a third-down play on the goal line. Benedet was supposed to be the primary target after motioning across the formation, but he was chopped down, forcing Williams to turn to tight end Colston Loveland for the touchdown.
“Theo was going to be number one there,” Johnson explained after that game. “Was trying to go for a big-guy touchdown. He got chopped down, so he didn’t even get out on his route. Caleb did a nice job popping back to Colston and he was able to find him. It was good.”
What other plays could Johnson look to draw up this time around?
For starters, if the Bears get into a similar situation, why not try to draw up the same exact play with Benedet to catch the defense on their toes? If not, Johnson has plenty of other options he can consider when it comes to creating a trick play and earning some more free hot dogs.
Take right tackle Darnell Wright for example. Back in early November, Johnson noted Wright can do some extraordinary things “with or without the ball” and it was an eye-opening comment that hasn’t been drawn up yet this season. Maybe we see the ball go Wright’s way.
All of this goes back to one of the final days of training camp when Johnson had quarterbacks and offensive linemen catching passes and positional players throwing the ball, giving Johnson an idea of who can do what with the football.
“I let those guys know, we only do this once a year,” Johnson told reporters after that practice. “It’s an evaluation. We’ll circle back into training camp and into the season to see who we can trust to catch the ball or throw the ball.”
All I know is, Johnson has the chance to do the funniest thing possible on a big stage against the team’s biggest rival and it’s something that can help secure a win if it pays off. And the free hot dogs will just be icing on the cake for Bears’ fans. I guess we’ll find out in a few hours.
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