Ben Johnson’s ready for his first taste of ‘Bear weather’

As we’ve already mentioned earlier this week, weather forecasts expect it to be cold at Soldier Field when the Chicago Bears face the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. Very cold.

In fact, it might well be one of the coldest Bears home games in recent memory, with the wind chill potentially making it feel as low as -10 degrees according to some reports.

First-year head coach Ben Johnson can’t wait.

“Been outside. Love it. It’s Bear weather,” Johnson told reporters at Halas Hall on Friday.

Say less.

Johnson has been part of some late-season games at Soldier Field as a member of the Detroit Lions coaching staff. But he probably hasn’t been part of one this cold.

Also, I’m sure someone told him about “Bear weather” and how much Bears fans love the idea of having that unique homefield advantage. Nothing says late-season Chicago Bears football like playing at least one home game that will freeze your nosehairs off.

Of course, “Bear weather” hasn’t done much good for Chicago over the past half-decade or so. Since 2020, the Bears have a 3-7 record at home in the months of December and January, suggesting the frigid conditions haven’t eaxctly helped them beat opponents down.

This year will hopefully be different, though, with their rebuilt offensive line, physical run game, and opportunistic defense ready to turn that tide and reassert dominance.

Hopefully, that’s not mere projection. The Bears will play three of their last four games at home, with each contest being essential to their playoff hopes in 2025. Interestingly, all three of those games will be against AFC or NFC North teams—the Browns, Green Bay Packers, and Detroit Lions, who play in a dome but still face the Bears and Packers on the road once a year. So it’s tough to say whether the weather itself will be a specific advantage.

But it’s not just about the temperature when it comes to “Bear weather.” It’s about the mentality.

The Bears have been soft in recent years. They’re not under Johnson’s leadership. Maybe he’ll be the one who makes “Bear weather” matter again.