The Chicago Bears are officially in the playoffs for the first time in five seasons.
It truly is a remarkable turnaround in their first season under Ben Johnson. The job he’s done transforming a locker
room and building that was stuck in a cycle of mediocrity and losing.
We knew the last regime wasn’t getting the most out of the talent the roster had. But Johnson and his staff have taken it to the next level, getting the most out of a roster that’s been injured and had its depth tested at times.
Coming into the final weeks, it’s all about seeding and trying to clinch the division. But it won’t be easy.
Let’s take stock of where the Bears stand.
7. Chicago Bears (11-4) Previous Week: 8
If you had asked Bears fans what the team’s most significant need was heading into the season, they would have said running back. In typical Ben Johnson fashion, he’s found a way to get the most out of his running back room, even if he’s only had a hand in one player on the current depth chart. That said, the value to spend a significant resource on the position isn’t super high, which means that the defensive line needs yet another high-value addition. I’d argue that edge rusher should be the higher priority, but considering Montez Sweat is the only player that could be remotely considered a “difference-maker”, Chicago can’t get too picky when it comes to adding more talent to the defensive side of the trenches and adding players who can consistently get after the quarterback needs to be their top priority starting in March.
Biggest Offseason Need: Defensive Line
7. Bears (No. 7; 11-4): It’s the most interesting Bears team since ’85.
The Athletic – Chad Graff and Josh Kendall
8. Chicago Bears (11-4)
Last week: 10
Saturday: Beat Packers 22-16 (OT)
One concern: Will the magic run out?
Caleb Williams’ game-winning pass to DJ Moore was incredible. Ben Johnson’s postgame speeches in the locker room are becoming must-watch. But at some point, will the magic run out if Williams waits until the fourth quarter to don his cape? And while the defense ranks 28th in yards per play allowed?
9. Chicago Bears (10): The season has been an unqualified success for the presumptive NFC North champions. But getting blown out at Soldier Field in the playoffs seems as likely − perhaps more likely − as a Super Bowl run for a team that constantly seems to be on a high wire.
5 (5): Chicago Bears (11-4)
The win Saturday night was great, one of the best for the Bears in many years. Nobody in Chicago will want to hear this part, but it came against a Packers team without several key players, including Jordan Love and Micah Parsons, and required an onside kick and fourth-down touchdown just to get the game to overtime. The Packers, with Malik Willis, outplayed Chicago for 58 minutes. Ultimately it doesn’t matter because that win makes it very likely the Bears will be your NFC North champions.
8. Chicago Bears (11) -At the start of the season, Caleb Williams’s stock was as low as it could possibly be. He shouldered the blame for his sack-filled rookie campaign, his leadership and processing abilities were in question, and there was plenty of skepticism about how he’d fit into head coach Ben Johnson’s system.
Williams has put an end to all the doubt now. Chicago is an 11-win team with one of the league’s most exciting offenses, and Williams has led the Bears to victories against two NFC contenders, Green Bay and Philadelphia, in the past four weeks.
Chicago isn’t as talented as the other teams with double-digit wins, but Williams has elevated this team—and proved why he was the top pick in the 2024 draft while giving Bears fans legitimate hope for the first time in decades.
I think the Bears are right about where they should be. It’s taken a while, but cracking the top 10 is right where Ben Johnson wanted them to be in December.
