The Chicago Bears returned to Soldier Field for the first time since Mike Ditka’s passing for Thursday night's game against the New England Patriots. They honored him with a 30-24 win over the team Ditka’s Bears beat to become 1985 Super Bowl champions.
Now, at 5-2, the Bears have a lot of good to look at. Even with it being Thursday Night Football, which is normally filled with sloppy play for every team, they found a way to look like a winning organization that can play under any circumstances.
Following the big win, here's how we graded offense, defense, special teams and the coaching staff as the Bears notched their fifth victory of the season.
Offense: A
The Bears had an incredible offensive showing. Caleb Williams eclipsed 300 yards for the second week
in a row, the ball was spread around the field, and the run game was notable despite dealing with some injury trouble. With this quarterback, anything is possible. When Chicago had a miscue on defense at the end of the first half, you knew they needed to come out and score in the third quarter, and they did with Colston Loveland's key touchdown. Cole Kmet is likely going to miss the rest of the season with a serious knee injury, which will put pressure on the other tight ends in the room to come up big going forward. But, as this A performance by the offense showed, they have no shortage of playmakers to help Williams drive the ball down the field.
Defense: B
The defense has been an exotic bunch this year. You never know where the pressure is going to come from, and opposing quarterbacks are never comfortable. That was a big question mark coming in, and they have answered the bell up to this point. The reason that the defense gets a B instead of an A, however, is that aforementioned final play of the first half. They lined up like the Patriots were going to run a Hail Mary, which is normal. However, the adjustment to them making a checkdown throw wasn't there, and Drake Maye earned what turned out to be a 40-yard touchdown pass as a result. The half is never over until it's over. In the second half, it was clear that they shook off the mistake and returned to their game. Playmakers stood up throughout the game to make an impact. In particular, D'Marco Jackson's interception in the end zone kept the Patriots from going up 14-13, which would have changed everything.
Special Teams: A
Whether it's kickoff coverage, punt coverage, the return game, or kicking field goals, special teams have been outstanding for the Bears in 2026. We always say that they just have to do their baseline jobs, and that can earn them an A-grade. Well, they go above and beyond a lot. They almost took a B after Cairo Santos missed a 53-yard field goal in the middle of the game, but he made up for it with his career-long 58-yarder with under two minutes remaining. That put the Bears up by two scores with no time for the Patriots to rebound and win. Rome Odunze is a wide receiver more than a special teams player, but he gets credit here for recovering the tough onside kick to end the game as well. Landing on that ball before a Patriots player can get to it is difficult, but he found a way.
Coaching: A
This win over the Patriots was a prime example of the Bears having a tactical advantage in every game they play because of Ben Johnson and the coaching staff. Whether it's the way he leads the offense and thier scheme was excellent on Thursday, or Dennis Allen's managing of the defense, this is an overall well-coached team. The two most notable parts of this game from a coaching point of view are the response that the team had after the blunder that ended the half, and the trust that Johnson had in Cairo Santos to get the job done late. The staff believes in the players, and it leads to winning. Now, the coaching will be put to the test again after this A-performance. After taking down the defending AFC champions, they have the defending NFC and Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks on the road. They have already sent a message to the league, and this is their chance to do it again.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears report card: How we graded Chicago in Week 7 win vs. Patriots
