Last week, in the 9-3 loss to the Vikings, Ben Johnson would probably tell you it wasn’t his best day. But last night against the Eagles, there’s no doubt the Bears’ head coach was on fire with his playcalling and offensive game plan.
Just about everything he drew up for Case Keenum worked. Last year the Bears dominated the Eagles on the ground en route to a season-shifting win. This year, with their third-string quarterback, Johnson’s squad took to the air to slice and dice Philadelphia’s defense.
In my opinion, no play call showed that Johnson was feeling himself more than the “sucker sneak” in the fourth quarter to get Case Keenum a rushing touchdown when quite literally no one expected it.
#Bears HC Ben Johnson says this play call — where both guards pull, making it look like the play is going outside when it’s actually a QB sneak — is an old Mike Martz concept.It’s called a “sucker sneak.” Martz called it in the Super Bowl with Kurt Warner. Chicago used it… t.co/HbOSEuiihh pic.twitter.com/gOID0XMdeD
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) September 29, 2026More from BN Bears: Case Keenum Was Awesome, But Will He Get Another Start for the Bears?
Ben Johnson’s Sucker Sneak Was A Perfect Play Call
I won’t lie, I never expected to be smiling when I saw the Bears, and Mike Martz mentioned it in the same sentence after Martz’s tough tenure here. But alas, here we are!
If you were wondering where Ben Johnson got the inspiration for the sucker sneak that led to Keenum’s touchdown, we have your answer. Johnson said it was an old Mike Martz concept the Rams even ran in their Super Bowl loss to the Patriots in 2002.
Now, just to walk through the play. The “sucker sneak” essentially fakes out the interior defensive linemen into thinking the ball is going outside, which opens up the middle for an easy short pickup for the quarterback. The two guards pull outside, forcing the defensive linemen to hesitate a second and clearing a lane for the quarterback to steal a couple of yards right behind the center. With how aggressive Philly’s defensive line was last night, and how aggressive Vic Fangio’s defense was keying in on the running backs, this was an absolutely perfect play call that no one saw coming.
Sep 28, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson looks on during the first half against the Philadelphia Eagles at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski – Imagn ImagesIt’s not a play call that’s going to work every time or with every quarterback, but it’s like the stars aligned perfectly for Chicago to pull it off. First, clearly, Case Keenum isn’t known for his running ability. Second, as mentioned, the Eagles’ defensive line and front seven were pretty much selling out to stop the run all night. And third, earlier in the game, when the Bears had the ball on the one-inch line, instead of calling a QB sneak, Ben Johnson called a run out of the pistol, which showed he had zero interest in trying to sneak his quarterback.
But of course, Ben Johnson was playing chess while everyone else played checkers. Does he make a few wrong calls here and there? Sure. But everything he does and everything he calls feels purposeful. He’s never calling things s to call them. So many times, it feels like he’s calling something to set up another call two quarters or even two games down the road.
That sucker sneak perfectly encapsulated what makes us so lucky to have Ben Johnson leading the Bears. It just feels like he’s in control and has a plan at all times. Sometimes that plan might not work out, but when it doesn’t, he almost always has an answer.
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