Ben Johnson Saw It Coming: How Case Keenum Is Helping Bears Avoid The Trap

Victories like what the Chicago Bears experienced last Saturday are incredibly rare. The circumstances lined up in a perfect storm. The Green Bay Packers have dominated the rivalry for over 30 years. They’d knocked the Bears out of the playoffs in their last such meeting and have beaten them in every meaningful game since. Then they prove this by taking a 21-3 lead at the half. Somehow, Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams ignite a rally in the 4th quarter, scoring 25 points to stun the Packers 31-27. It is the greatest victory in modern Bears history. Veteran quarterback Case Keenum knows something about that.

He has been part of incredible playoff games like that before. One might say he was involved in the most emotional victory of the past decade, leading the Minnesota Vikings to a stunning last-second comeback over New Orleans in the now-iconic Minneapolis Miracle game in 2017. While that win forever etched his name into Vikings legend, it also came with a price. Minnesota went into the next game unable to refocus from that emotional high, resulting in a crushing 31-7 loss in the NFC Championship.

That is likely why Johnson has instructed Keenum to educate the locker room on what went wrong.

The Case Keenum signing continues to pay dividends.

While the Bears primarily wanted him for his experience as a quarterback to help teach Williams, the fringe benefits have been many. His motivational skills are a constant presence when games get tight. Now you’re seeing his playing experience become useful in other ways. Getting that kind of return from a third-string quarterback is pretty crazy and a testament to the forethought Johnson had when bringing him in. Here is hoping the words Keenum shared were enough to convince the locker room it was time to look ahead.

One could make a case that this opponent is the strongest the Chicago Bears have left to face in the playoffs. Every team is good, but the Los Angeles Rams are probably the most well-balanced. They have the #1 offense in the league, led by an MVP favorite at quarterback, and also have one of the best pass rushes on defense. That is a highly similar matchup to what Case Keenum saw in Philadelphia eight years ago. If the Bears can somehow win this game, the ultimate dream is in sight.