Bears' Ben Johnson Owns Flores Blitz: Solak's Week 2 — SkimNews
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- Ben Johnson is 5-1 against Vikings DC Brian Flores across six career meetings; Johnson's condensed formations and quick-snapping attack (19 quick snaps in last season's matchup, a season high) counter Flores' league-leading 73.8% blitz rate against the Packers in Week 1.
- The Bears blew out the Panthers 59-0 in Week 1 as Caleb Williams hit 72.4% completions, with RBs D'Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai each surpassing 100 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
- The Texans' offense posted a 45.7% success rate and 78.1% first-down conversion rate in their Week 1 loss to Buffalo — the ninth- and sixth-best marks of C.J. Stroud's career.
- Houston's retooled offensive line and new RB David Montgomery produced a 60% success rate on between-the-tackles runs against the Bills — the second-best of Stroud's career — after Houston ranked 31st in rushing success rate across the prior three seasons combined.
- Stroud was pressured on just 21.4% of Week 1 dropbacks but committed two strip sacks on those pressured plays, including one that set up a Bills field goal and another that ended the game.
- The Vikings' 2026 draft prioritized defensive linemen — first-round DT Caleb Banks, second-round LB/edge hybrid Jake Golday, and third-round DT Domonique Orange — to address run defense against the Bears.
Why it matters: The Bears-Vikings Week 2 clash is the NFL's coaching chess match of the year — **Ben Johnson** has beaten **Brian Flores'** blitz scheme 5-1 across six meetings, the only sustained counter to a defense that blitzed at a league-high 73.8% rate in Week 1. A Bears win validates Johnson's offense as NFC-title-caliber while exposing Flores' approach as beatable with the right preparation.
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