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Joe Buck and Troy Aikman provide Bears' fans with a much-needed reality check after disappointing loss to the Vikings in Week 1

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Kole Noble | Last updated Sep 9, 2025 11:20 AM ET

After one game, Chicago Bears fans are getting this reality set in their mind that the same ol' Bears are back despite all the changes made inside the organization this offseason.

Did all of the familiar issues show up? Absolutely. Quarterback Caleb Williams had issues identifying his reads and accurately distributing the football, running back D'Andre Swift wasn't able to find his footing and create consistent yards on the ground, and backbreaking penalties killed multiple drives.

Defensively, the Bears looked great early on and had quarterback J.J. McCarthy in the blender. By the time the fourth quarter came around, Chicago's unit got gassed and Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell made the necessary adjustments to win the game.

As bad as it was to open the regular season in that way, I can't stress this enough. What we saw on Monday night was far from the same ol' Bears we saw in 2024. And I'm not the only one who felt that way after the game.

"I don't want to speak on behalf of the city but I think that this feels different," ESPN commentator Joe Buck said after the game. "This feels like, okay yeah they lost the game, Caleb Williams looked like a more poised quarterback. They've got Ben Johnson. This is the start. I think Bears' fans think, and rightfully so, that this is the beginning of something exciting with the Chicago Bears. It won't be one week, it'll be a chunk of the season, maybe an entire season."

"This feels different. ... I think Bears fans think and rightfully so, that 'This is the beginning of something exciting for the Chicago Bears.'"

Despite the loss, Joe Buck and Troy Aikman believe Bears fans should be optimistic pic.twitter.com/3zHG6o6tRC
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) September 9, 2025

Bears fans, like it or not, need to have patience with this team in 2025

Let's look at the reality of things. In Ben Johnson's first game as a head coach, the Bears lost by three points against a division rival and at one point held a 17-6 lead going into the final quarter of play.

Now, the outcome is the outcome and it's a solid learning moment for this new coaching staff and the players. Not everything is going to be perfect, what matters is how you adjust.

"I think they've got the right staff," former Super Bowl winning QB Troy Aikman added. "There's a lot of optimism around right now. It looked good for a while and this is going to be a tough loss, of course. But, I do think this is different. I think fans will feel different even though this is a devastating loss, as they've experienced at other times."

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Look around the rest of the league in Week 1. Only one first-year head coach won this opening weekend and it was Liam Coen going up against the Carolina Panthers.

Everyone wanted this new era to look flawless right out of the gate and that simply wasn't going to be the reality. We'll see how this team and staff learn from this loss and adjust going forward. That'll be the real difference fans will see from this new team as this season progresses.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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