Friday night’s preseason matchup ultimately ended on a positive note for the Chicago Bears, but it was hardly the kind of start head coach Ben Johnson had hoped for. The opening minutes told a different story, one filled with sloppiness and missed opportunities that Johnson openly admitted have been a recurring issue throughout training camp.

“Offensively, those first two possessions were really sloppy football,” Johnson explained after the game, speaking via ESPN’s Courtney Cronin. “It’s something that has plagued us in and out of camp so far, and unfortunately it showed up again tonight.”

The Bears’ offense sputtered out of the gate, punting after a quick three-and-out on their first drive and again after just six plays on the second. Meanwhile, their opponents, the Kansas City Chiefs, wasted no time capitalizing, putting up 10 unanswered points and setting the early tone.

“It is disappointing to me offensively for sure,” Johnson continued. “I thought that we had worked our way out of that, but tonight showed that we still have work to do.”

Now, with only 16 days left before their Week 1 Monday Night Football clash against the Minnesota Vikings, the Bears are racing against time to iron out their inconsistencies.

“If the first quarter against the Chiefs was any indication, it’s not good enough,” Johnson admitted. “We’ve got to get better in a hurry. The good news is we’ll be able to break down this tape, coach our guys hard, and hopefully get this out of our system heading into the regular season. What matters most is making sure we start faster, both offensively and defensively.”

Looking ahead, the Bears’ schedule doesn’t offer much breathing room. After hosting the Vikings, they’ll travel to Detroit to face the Lions, followed by tough matchups against the Cowboys and Raiders before hitting their Week 5 bye.

Johnson acknowledged the importance of that early-season pause, suggesting it could serve as a turning point. “[W]e might have to ebb and flow a little bit after that opening game,” he said. “Usually it takes until the bye week to really find your identity. I think it’s placed at just the right time to help us figure out who we are and what we’re going to be for the rest of the season.”

Of course, in preseason football, nothing is certain. Teams can look sharp one week and flat the next, and true identities rarely emerge until the games start counting. As Johnson knows well, the Bears still have plenty to prove before they can be considered ready for the grind of the regular season.