The Chicago Bears can win a Super Bowl. This year. The team left no doubt about that fact on Monday night at Seattle’s Lumen Field.
The Bears thoroughly dominated the defending Super Bowl champions, in their own house, from bell to bell. This happening just one week after defeating last year’s Super Bowl runner-up New Englad Patriots.
Also one week ago, the Seahawks defense kept Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs out of the end zone entirely. This week, the Bears went on a methodical, 17-play
drive to score a touchdown on their first possession of the game against that same defense.
In defeating the Seahawks, as well as the Patriots last week, the Bears became the first team in NFL history to defeat both of the previous year’s Super Bowl teams in back-to-back weeks. That’s a heck of a stat.
Now, let’s get to the game balls.
Offense Game Ball: QB Caleb Williams
Despite most of the NFL world now acknowledging the fact that Williams is a top tier quarterback, it feels like Monday night’s game took that one step further. As I browse social media and the usual talking heads throughout the sports world, I’m starting to see a general consensus now that not only is #18 top-tier, he is elite. As in, a top five quarterback in the league.
A Chicago Bears quarterback. Elite. We’ve been waiting a long time for this, and we absolutely deserve it.
Williams did something to the Seahawks that no other QB has done this year – throw for 200 yards. And the Seahawks have played some pretty accomplished QBs and big names this year: Mahomes, Brock Purdy, Drake Maye, Justin Herbert, and Bo Nix to name a few. None of them accomplished this feat.
It took Williams barely half the game, surpassing 200 yards less than five minutes into the third quarter. And he did so on one of the most spectacular plays of the game.
The Bears’ QB finished the night 24/34, 247 yards passing, one touchdown, zero interceptions, and a passer rating of 101.0.
You’ve got to think the Williams has firmly entered the MVP discussion and will remain there for the rest of the season.
Defense Game Ball: DT Jeffery Simmons
Did the Bears give up too much for Simmons? If I’m the Titans, I’m thinking they didn’t give up enough.
It can’t be overstated how much of a difference Big Jeff made for the Bears defense from the very first play he was on the field. Those bright orange sleeves might as well have been a flashing warning sign to the rest of the league for the remainder of this season. Not only do the Bears have an elite offense; they now have a defense that opposing teams will (and should) fear.
That’s a combination that wins championships.
In commanding so much attention from the offensive line, Simmons helped other Bears defenders in the front four look like All Pro candidates. Montez Sweat was a beast. Austin Booker continued to look the part of up and coming young star. Hell, James Lynch even had an interception, catching a ball that Booker tipped late in the game.
Simmons was on the field for 48 plays, and the Seahawks were held to just 3.0 yards per play (including three sacks and an interception) during those snaps. There were eight plays that Simmons was not on the field, and Seattle averaged 13.3 yards per play during those snaps. That kind of says it all.
Simmons finished the night with six tackles, one sack, two tackles for loss, one pass defended, and one QB hit.
And this is just the beginning. Simmons had only been with the team for a little bit over 72 hours on Monday night. Expect this train to keep rolling ahead at full speed in the week’s ahead.
It hasn’t been this exciting to be a Bears fan in a very long time. Relish it.
Who would have received your game balls? Let us know in the comments section below.
The best team in the NFL resides in Chicago.
