Did Troy Aikman disagree with Ben Johnson’s call? The Chicago Bears coach faces scrutiny after costly 4th-down gamble

Troy Aikman questioned Ben Johnson’s fourth-down decision during the Chicago Bears’ Week 3 matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles. Chicago had a chance to add points after recovering a fumble deep in Philadelphia territory, but Johnson kept the offense on the field.The call failed, and Aikman made his preference clear on the Monday Night Football broadcast. Johnson later explained why he trusted the play instead of taking the field goal.Troy Aikman wanted Chicago to take the pointsThe Bears recovered a fumble at the Eagles’ 15-yard line and reached first-and-goal from the 6. Rome Odunze then dropped a wide-open touchdown chance on third down before Chicago faced fourth-and-goal from the 3.Johnson stayed aggressive. The fourth-down pass fell incomplete, ending the possession without points.“I think Ben Johnson got a little too enamored about what he is capable of calling,” Aikman said during ESPN’s Monday Night Football broadcast. He then added, “I’d take the points.”That was the heart of Aikman’s criticism. Chicago had already forced a turnover and moved into prime scoring territory. A field goal would have guaranteed points, while the fourth-down call left the Bears with nothing.The missed chance became more noticeable when Jalen Hurts scored on a tush push before halftime. Philadelphia went into the break trailing 10-7.There was another factor surrounding Chicago’s offense. Caleb Williams missed the game with a hamstring injury, while Case Keenum started at quarterback. The Bears entered the matchup already adjusting their offense around the veteran backup. Ben Johnson explains why he trusted the callJohnson did not describe the decision as a random gamble after the game. His explanation focused on his confidence in the play and his discomfort with kicking from that position.“Where we were on that field, I didn’t feel great going that direction, kicking it,” Johnson said during his postgame press conference. “It just is a gut feel sometimes on those things and how comfortable I am with the play calls.”The play was designed for tight end Colston Loveland. Johnson’s comments show that he had already made his choice based on the situation and his belief in the call.Johnson also had plenty to like about the offense despite that failed possession. Chicago’s running game carried a major share of the workload, with both backs finishing with more than 100 rushing yards. Johnson said the Bears needed that ground attack to win the game.He also acknowledged one area where he could have done better as a play-caller. Johnson said he looked at the offense’s 36 rushing attempts and felt he probably called too many pass plays given how well the running game was working.That adds another layer to the Aikman criticism. The Bears coach was not simply chasing points. He was making decisions based on his confidence in specific plays and the way the game was developing.Aikman wanted the safer scoring option. Johnson trusted his call. The fourth-down miss gave the ESPN analyst a clear reason to question the choice, even as the Bears ultimately won the game 31-20.Stay updated with the latest Asian Games 2026 news, check the Asian Games medal tally and complete Asian Games schedule.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.