The Chicago Bears returned to Soldier Field to begin a new era.

It looked like it was going to start on the right foot. The Bears had a 17-6 lead in the fourth quarter against a Vikings team that had 14 wins last season.

But, that came crashing down. Minnesota scored 21 unanswered points, including the final nail in the coffin on a 14-yard touchdown run by J.J. McCarthy.

Here are our takeaways from the season-opening loss to Minnesota on Monday Night Football to begin the Ben Johnson Era in Chicago.

The defense saved a dismal middle-eight

The Bears went up 10-3 in the middle-eight part of the game, which is the four minutes between the end of the second quarter and the beginning of the third.

That’s when the Vikings went down and added a quick field goal before halftime. It was 10-6.

See Full Page