Joe Buck believes Bears fans are optimistic after ‘MNF’ loss to Vikings

The Chicago Bears were booed off the field by their fans in Week 1, but Joe Buck believes those same fans should be feeling pretty good about things heading into Week 2.

There was definitely a moment where Bears fans were feeling pretty good Monday night. New head coach Ben Johnson had the offense humming as Caleb Williams led the Bears to their first opening-drive touchdown since 2023. But after Chicago went on to blow an 11-point lead in the fourth quarter of what turned into a brutal loss to the Minnesota Vikings, that opening-drive goodwill disappeared.

As Bears fans booed their team off the field to end the game, there had to be that familiar feeling of ‘here we go again.’ Buck, however, shared a completely different sentiment after the game, telling Scott Van Pelt he believes the fanbase is enjoying a feeling of optimism despite the brutal loss.

“I don’t want to speak on behalf of a city,” Buck said. “But I think that this feels different. 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, and I think Bears fans think…that this is the beginning of something exciting with the Chicago Bears.”

“There was a lot of good stuff going on,” Buck continued. “They had the game in their hand and then they had the penalty on the intentional grounding, they had a holding call and then all of a sudden, they’re backed up and the thing flipped.”

And that there is why Bears fans probably aren’t feeling as optimistic as Joe Buck thinks. Things were going great and then all of a sudden, they weren’t. That’s the ‘here we go again’ feeling that encompasses a tortured fanbase.

I’m not a Bears fan, but I am a New York Jets fan, so I know a thing or two about disappointment and heartbreak. After years of being tormented as a fan, it’s hard to break the cycle of mistrust. And I would imagine there is at least a portion of the Bears fanbase who feels similarly. Even when things are starting to point up, you’re still waiting for something like the supposed savior tearing their Achilles four plays into the season.

Bears fans were teased in the first half Monday night with a young quarterback and new head coach who appeared to be righting the ship. But for many fans, the ensuing letdown was an all too familiar feeling. That doesn’t mean fans gave up on the franchise’s current direction when they booed the Bears off the field. But they’re likely proceeding with more caution than optimism.