Jets Head to Soldier Field as Aaron Glenn Reunites With Ben Johnson
The New York Jets will travel to Soldier Field on Sunday for a Week 4 matchup that reunites head coach Aaron Glenn with Ben Johnson, his former counterpart from Detroit. Glenn, who worked in Detroit from 2021-24, said the two pushed one another in practice and credited Johnson as a top coach. Both men accepted head-coaching jobs in the same hiring cycle and enter their second seasons leading their respective clubs.
The Bears enter the game 2-1 following a 27-7 Monday night victory over the Philadelphia Eagles. Chicago likely will be without starting quarterback Caleb Williams, who is dealing with a hamstring issue, and turned to veteran Case Keenum against the Eagles. Keenum completed 24 of 34 passes for 247 yards, two touchdowns and a rushing score in his first regular-season action since 2023, and head coach Ben Johnson has not officially named a starter for Week 4.
Glenn emphasized the challenge ahead and said the Bears have been effective at sustaining drives. The Jets and Bears rank among the NFL’s best at controlling the clock, each averaging more than 34 minutes of possession per game. Chicago has held the ball roughly 26 seconds longer per game than New York on average, setting up a likely battle over momentum and field position.
Chicago’s offense features running backs D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai, who each topped 100 rushing yards in Week 1’s 59-37 win over the Carolina Panthers. The Bears will again rely on their ground game if Williams remains sidelined. The Jets will counter with a run defense that ranks seventh in the league, allowing 87.3 rushing yards per game.
The Jets and Bears will meet for the 14th time and for the first time since New York’s 31-10 win in 2022. In that game, Garrett Wilson had six receptions for 95 yards and two touchdowns. New York last played at Soldier Field in 2018.
The Jets will lean on recent explosive passing performances after Week 3. Garrett Wilson and rookie tight end Kenyon Sadiq each recorded more than 100 receiving yards and a touchdown in the loss to the Detroit Lions. Sadiq ranks second among rookies with 12 receptions and 143 receiving yards this season, and quarterback Geno Smith completed 31 of 37 passes for 321 yards and three touchdowns in that game. Smith leads the league with a 75.5 percent completion rate this season, the highest by a Jets quarterback through Week 3 in franchise history.
NFL Sports Blog Take
This matchup will come down to time of possession and each defense’s ability to force short fields. Chicago’s backfield and third-down efficiency under Ben Johnson will test a Jets run defense that has been stout early, while New York’s passing efficiency behind Geno Smith and playmakers Garrett Wilson and Kenyon Sadiq gives the Jets the upside to stretch the Bears’ clock-control strategy. Special teams and turnover margin figure to have outsized importance in a game that projects to feature prolonged drives and fewer possessions.