The Chicago Bears are moving on after a dismal Week 2 performance that saw them drop their home opener to the Minnesota Vikings, losing 9-3 in wet and rainy conditions at Soldier Field. Neither team could get much going in less-than-ideal conditions, but Minnesota made fewer mistakes to sneak out with a win.
On offense, nothing seemed to be working for head coach Ben Johnson and the unit as a whole while dealing with the constant pressure from Brian Flores' defense. Chicago mustered just 297 total yards of offense and didn't have a scoring drive outside of their opening possession. And to make matters worse, quarterback Caleb Williams left the game with a hamstring injury late in the fourth quarter after falling awkwardly on a run that likely
would have scored a touchdown.
Defensively, the Bears rebounded against the Vikings offense, holding them to just one trip inside Chicago's red zone all day. Unfortunately, they only needed three field goals to win, and the Bears couldn't keep them down all game long.
Following each game the Bears play, we will be taking a close look at the players whose stock is rising, as well as those who are falling. Here is our first installment of Bear Up, Bear Down for the 2026 season.
Bear up: S Dillon Thieneman
Rookie safety Dillon Thieneman is doing exactly what the Bears envisioned when they called his name in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, and that's, well, everything. Thieneman has been solid in both pass coverage and run defense through two weeks, leading the Bears in tackles for the second straight game. He's a strong finisher and made a huge play to prevent a touchdown to Justin Jefferson in the opening quarter on Sunday.
The best part is Thieneman is doing all of this without his running mate Coby Bryant. It's exciting to see how he will be utilized on defense once No. 2 returns to action. For now, though, the rookie is having an excellent start to his career.
Bear down: C Garrett Bradbury
Maybe it was the rain; maybe it was the fact he was facing his old team for the first time. Whatever it was, center Garrett Bradbury had an awful showing on Sunday and is making Bears fans miss the days of Drew Dalman. Bradbury struggled with penalties, snaps, and pressures combined on Sunday. He had four charged penalties, which match Dalman's total from all of last year while also struggling with snaps that resulted in dropped balls to Williams.
Even on some clean plays, Bradbury appeared to snap the ball sooner than expected, which either resulted in penalties elsewhere or poor play execution. It's hard to imagine he will be worse than he was last week, but his performance has Bears fans wondering if it's time for Logan Jones to enter the lineup.
Bear up: CB Tyrique Stevenson
Tyrique Stevenson was one of the best defenders on Sunday and did an excellent job limiting the Vikings' production in the passing game. Stevenson totaled five tackles (one for loss) and a pass defensed in Week 2. Best of all, Stevenson allowed just one completion on four targets.
We know Stevenson has his games where he struggles, and he was likely aided by the poor weather conditions. But he still had to go against one of the better wide receiver duos in the NFL and stood up to the challenge. The only downside to his outing was Stevenson exited early with an injury that could keep him out of next week's game.
Bear down: TE Sam Roush
If there's a scapegoat from Sunday, it's Sam Roush. The rookie didn't lose the game for the Bears, but fans aren't holding back when it comes to his shortcomings against the Vikings. Roush had a forgettable day with multiple penalties and dropped passes, including what would have likely been a walk-in touchdown late in the game.
It's important to remember Roush is still a rookie tight end, and frankly, his involvement should be less than what it is right now. Still, he has to take advantage of the opportunities put in front of him. There will be better days for Roush as he develops in his NFL career. Sunday wasn't one of them, and it's fair to wonder what his involvement will look like going into Week 3.
Bear up: DE Dayo Odeyingbo
Is Dayo Odeyingbo turning a corner, or is he just productive against the Vikings? Odeyingbo had perhaps his second-best game since signing with the Bears back in 2025, making one tackle for loss, a sack, and two QB hits against the Vikings while playing more defensive tackle.
There were practices during training camp where Odeyingbo rotated inside on certain plays, so this isn't totally surprising to see. But Odeyingbo seemed to have more success going against Minnesota's interior offensive linemen. Perhaps we see even more packages with No. 55 kicked inside going forward.
Bear down: TE Colston Loveland
Colston Loveland not getting any receptions in Week 1 was able to be explained considering how Williams and the offense had so many options available to them. But getting little production in Week 2 when nothing else was going right is a problem. For some reason, Loveland has not been a priority in the offense to start the season, and it's baffling.
When he is running routes and getting open, he's not getting looks. Even on the run where Williams gets hurt, Loveland is right in front of him and likely scores if the ball is thrown to him. And though he's a solid blocker, Loveland should not be getting asked to stay in as much as he was. His value is better as a pass catcher while players like Roush and Cole Kmet stay in to block. Something has to change, and Loveland needs to become a focal point of the offense once again. Having one catch for three yards is unacceptable.
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bear Up, Bear Down: Who helped, hurt stock vs. Vikings
