Toronto Star
· collected 2026-10-01 · by Jay Cohen The Associated Press
Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn will face each other again this Sunday when the Chicago Bears host the New York Jets in Week 4 of the NFL season. Both previously worked for Detroit, where Johnson was offensive coordinator and Glenn defensive coordinator, experiences that fostered mutual respect and competitiveness. With an uncertain quarterback situation for the Bears due to Caleb Williams' injury, the matchup will highlight the Bears’ defense against the Jets’ second-ranked defense, which has not intercepted a pass in 20 consecutive games.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-02,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
The New York Jets are facing significant injuries heading into their Week 4 game against the Chicago Bears. Breece Hall, their top running back, is out with a quad injury and considered week-to-week. The team will rely on backups Braelon Allen and Isaiah Davis to fill the void in the backfield. Additionally, wide receiver Adonai Mitchell, offensive lineman Dylan Parham, tight end Mason Taylor, and linebacker Kiko Mauigoa are also sidelined for Sunday's game.
The Jets' ground game has already been struggling this season, with an average of 3.3 yards per carry ranking them 30th in the NFL. With Hall's injury, Allen now gets a chance to prove himself as a "workhorse back." This is particularly crucial given that the team’s offensive line, which has underperformed in recent games, needs to protect quarterback Geno Smith effectively if they hope to secure an upset victory.
Head coach Aaron Glenn, who previously faced Bears head coach Ben Johnson during their time together as assistants with the Detroit Lions, sees this matchup as a chance for the Jets to demonstrate improvement and resilience against quality opposition.
Written for “Jets vs Bears Week 4NFL” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 22 other(s) covering the same event.
Ben Johnson’s time in Detroit — a formative experience that led to his current job as coach of the Chicago Bears — was shaped in part by going against Aaron Glenn’s defense in practice with the Lions.
asserted
that → lead → Lions
Johnson remembers it well.
asserted
Johnson → remember → it
“He certainly lights a fire under you,” he said.
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he → light → you
“I still remember to this day being next to him in training camp, and you can hear him.
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you → remember → him
You can hear him.
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You → hear → him
And when the defense makes a play, he lets you know.”
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you → make → play
Johnson goes up against Glenn once again on Sunday when the Bears host the New York Jets.
asserted
Bears → go → Jets
Glenn took over in New York in January 2025, right after Johnson was hired by Chicago.
asserted
Johnson → take → Chicago
Glenn faced their former boss last weekend, losing to 31-24 to Dan Campbell’s Lions in Detroit.
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Glenn → face → Detroit
Glenn recalled planning for practice with Johnson in one of their first meetings after he took over the offense.
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he → recall → offense
“Just having those conversations and seeing how he put things together, and then just talking offensive and defensive football was good to have,” Glenn said.
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Glenn → have → football
“But the one thing, we were so competitive in move-the-ball situations on how we wanted to beat each other, but it made both of us better, I will say that.
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I → move → that
He’s a damn good coach.”
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He → ’ → ?
Glenn and New York are preparing for a Chicago team with an uncertain situation at quarterback, at least publicly.
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Glenn → prepare → quarterback
Caleb Williams is rehabbing a right hamstring injury.
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Williams → rehabbe → injury
Case Keenum passed for two touchdowns in Monday night’s win over Philadelphia, but Johnson hasn’t identified the starter for the matchup with the Jets.
asserted
Johnson → pass → Jets
Chicago also could go with Tyson Bagent, who emerged from the NFL’s concussion protocol on Sunday.
uncertain
who → go → Sunday
Whoever gets the call for the Bears will face an improved Jets defense, directed by Glenn, who was a defensive back in the NFL for 15 seasons.
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who → get → seasons
“You can see how he played the game as a player has translated to how he coaches, and his guys take that same identity as well,” Johnson said.
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Johnson → see → identity
“Like I said, a ton of respect for him and he’s a heck of a competitor.”
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he → say → competitor
Last week: Jets lost to the Lions 31-24; Bears beat the Eagles 27-7.
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Bears → lose → Eagles
Series record: Bears lead 9-4.
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Bears → lead → ?
Wilson is coming off his best game of the season, catching 10 passes for 107 yards and a touchdown in last weekend’s loss at Detroit.
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Wilson → come → Detroit
Wilson was a rookie the previous time the teams played, and he scored on receptions of 8 and 54 yards in a runaway victory for the Jets in 2022.
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he → play → 2022
Johnson has played a role in an impressive turnaround for Chicago’s defense after a rough Week 1 at Carolina.
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Johnson → play → Carolina
Stats and stuff
— The Jets enter with the NFL’s second-ranked defense, allowing 258.3 yards per game.
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Jets → enter → game
— New York has not had an interception in an NFL-record 20 consecutive games.
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York → have → games
The Jets’ most recent INT came in the 2024 season finale, when Ashtyn Davis had two against Miami.
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Davis → come → Miami
— Geno Smith leads the NFL with a 75.5% completion rate, the highest by a Jets quarterback through Week 3 in franchise history with a minimum of three starts.
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Smith → lead → starts
He has passed for 783 yards and four TDs with no interceptions.
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He → pass → interceptions
— Third-year RB Braelon Allen will likely serve as the primary ballcarrier out of the backfield with Breece Hall expected to be sidelined with a quadriceps injury.
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Hall → serve → injury
— Chicago allowed a total of 16 points in the second half of its first three games.
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Chicago → allow → games
— D’Andre Swift has 253 yards rushing for Chicago, and Kyle Monangai has 178.
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Monangai → have → 178
They could become the first duo to each rush for more than 200 yards for the Bears in the first four weeks of a season since Walter Payton and Roland Harper in 1978.
uncertain
They → become → 1978
— Bears safety Dillon Thieneman leads the team with 21 total tackles.
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Thieneman → lead → tackles
He is the only rookie in the NFL with at least 20 tackles, an INT and at least three passes defensed.
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He → defense → tackles
___
AP Pro Football Writer Dennis Waszak Jr. contributed to this report.
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Jr. → contribute → report
The Aporia
