Chicago Bears coach Ben Johnson: Luther Burden III shines; Cole Kmet out
Chicago Bears coach Ben Johnson on Friday outlined five takeaways after the team's Thursday night 30-24 victory over the New England Patriots on Oct. 22, 2026, highlighting Luther Burden III’s run-after-catch ability and confirming that tight end Cole Kmet will miss the remainder of the season with a knee injury. Johnson spoke with reporters after reviewing game tape and identified specific plays and performances that stood out during the Week 7 win. The coach also addressed both defensive progress and situational breakdowns that the team must correct.
Burden produced a breakout performance, finishing with four receptions for 130 yards and a touchdown, all in the first half on gains of 58, 26, 24 and 22 yards. Johnson praised Burden’s ability to generate yards after the catch and noted the offense will look for additional ways to get the ball to him beyond screens and underneath routes. The touchdown screen late in the first half came after coordinated execution across the offense, with Johnson singling out playmakers and the offensive line for their roles.
Multiple pass catchers contributed to the win as well, with Colston Loveland posting a season-high seven catches for 69 yards and Rome Odunze adding four receptions for 69 yards, including key 21-yard catches on two fourth-quarter drives. Quarterback Caleb Williams delivered his second straight strong outing, passing for 308 yards with two touchdowns, no turnovers and a 116.7 passer rating. Johnson said the performance reflected the depth of playmakers on offense and the vision of getting different players involved as the game unfolded.
Johnson confirmed that tight end Cole Kmet suffered a knee injury midway through the fourth quarter and will miss the rest of the season. Before exiting, Kmet had three catches for 28 yards in the game and increased his career receiving total to 3,026 yards, joining Mike Ditka as the only Bears tight ends to reach at least 3,000 career receiving yards. Johnson praised Kmet as a leader and a longtime presence in the organization and said the team will need others to step into the role he leaves vacant.
The Bears defense limited the Patriots to 70 rushing yards on 17 carries, a continuation of strong run-stopping play that also held NFL-leading rusher Bijan Robinson to 61 yards on nine attempts in the previous win over the Falcons. Johnson credited improved technique, fundamentals and alignment up front for the unit’s ability to bottle up running games and create more second-and-long situations. He said defensive coordinator Dennis Allen’s scheming is focused on preventing explosive plays while disrupting opponents’ rushing attacks.
Johnson also pointed to a late-first-half breakdown on the final play before halftime that resulted in a Patriots touchdown as an area needing improvement. With three seconds remaining and the ball at the Bears’ 48-yard line, a short pass to Rhamondre Stevenson produced a score after the defense failed to finish the tackle and cleanly execute the rush. Johnson called for cleaner execution on situational reps and emphasized the need to rally to the football in those moments.
NFL Sports Blog Take
The Bears showed encouraging signs in Week 7: Burden’s big-play ability creates a clear vertical threat, Williams has produced back-to-back high-quality passing performances, and the run defense is tightening up. Cole Kmet’s season-ending knee injury will force Chicago to reassign tight-end duties and could affect short- and intermediate-yardage plans if backups cannot step in quickly. The defense’s run-stopping fundamentals are a meaningful plus, but the late-halftime lapse highlights a need for better situational execution. Overall, the win demonstrated offensive diversity and defensive growth while presenting a clear personnel challenge moving forward.