A 25–24 win over the Washington Commanders on Monday Night Football was a national statement by the Chicago Bears. Under the bright primetime lights, Chicago showed the world that this isn’t the "same old Bears." The Ben Johnson era has arrived, and for the first time in a long time, the Bears look like a franchise with a real answer at both head coach and quarterback.

This is still a team that will always be doubted — that comes with the territory. It’s easier for the rest of the league to treat the Bears like a punchline or a cautionary tale than to admit that the tide might actually be turning in Chicago. But wins like the one on Monday night start to change that narrative — slowly, stubbornly, but surely.

And yes, that includes the critics wearing headsets in the broadcast booth.

Both times the Bears have played on Monday Night Football this season, Troy Aikman’s bias has been hard to miss. He clearly isn’t enamored with Caleb Williams. He’s quick to nitpick and slow to give credit, and even when he does, it’s wrapped in the tone of a backhanded compliment.

Take Monday night. Williams dropped a gorgeous throw to Luther Burden on a deep crosser — perfect timing, perfect touch, hit him in stride and he ran for 37 yards. Aikman’s takeaway? Caleb was “late to see it.” Later, Williams hit DeAndre Swift for a 55-yard touchdown to pull the Bears within two. A massive moment. Aikman’s reaction? “Just luck.” This, after Chicago had been on the wrong end of bad breaks all game long.

Normally, I’m not one to buy into announcer bias — most of the time it’s a fan illusion more than reality. But this one? Everybody heard it. Including head coach Ben Johnson.

During an appearance on ESPN Chicago AM 1000 with Jeff Joniak, Johnson took a subtle jab at Aikman’s tone.

“It sounded like from that game the other night, a few people weren't particularly pleased with how we are winning right now. I woke up this morning and my kids were watching the second half before school, so I heard some of the commentary," he said. 

When asked again during his Zoom press conference, Johnson smirked and mentioned that he had the game “on mute” when rewatching the broadcast. Caleb Williams also answered back, dropping a sly reference to the “luck” comment in one of his recent Instagram captions.

Good.

Bears fans shouldn’t want it any other way. When teams are irrelevant, the league gets apathetic. When you’ve got haters, it means you’re making noise.

And something tells me Ben Johnson won’t let his team forget that any time soon. Chicago played with a chip on its shoulder Monday night — and as long as that edge stays sharp, this team is going to be a problem for a lot of people.