I would like to preface that this article was written nearly a month before it was published. For that reason, it’s either going to age very well or insanely poorly. If the latter occurs, I apologize.
The Bears’ season has truly been unexpected. Nobody predicted them to have a successful season. However, the Chicago Bears finished 11-6 and, for the first time since 2018, won the NFC North, taking the 2nd-seed in the conference. The Bears have an opportunity to win their first playoff game in 15 years, and with their young squad, it seems like this is just the beginning of something great. And yet, it seems people keep doubting them. Why is this?
After asking this question to ETHS Alumni Mack Jones (class of ‘25), the Packers fan stated, “Because it’s the Bears, and because they haven’t won against good teams who have been healthy. Most of their wins have come in close games that they would’ve lost without some lucky breaks.” Throughout this season, Caleb Williams has had six fourth-quarter comebacks. That said, imagine if the Bears had lost these games! They would be 5-12, right on par with last season, in which they finished dead last in the NFC North.
But what about the new players this season? They have surely made a change, right? “Bears fans say their offensive line has been so good this year,” Jones began, “but then they bring up Caleb having to run for his life when you mention all of his incompletions. The line was what the Bears invested in the most, but it hasn’t improved as much as some say it has.” According to an article from the Chicago Sun Times, “The Bears ranked between 19th and 31st in O-line spending during Poles’ first three seasons but now are sixth at $137.3 million.” While Jones does have a point there, I don’t believe his comment paints the entire picture. Yes, it is true that Caleb has to run a lot and has a low completion percentage, but that’s the last line of defense in the case that the O-line is broken through. Not to mention, the O-line consists of star players such as 4-time Super Bowl Champion Joe Thuney. “The revamped unit surrendered only 13 sacks in 2025,” an article from PFF states, “Chicago…[had] an 87.7 PFF pass-blocking efficiency rating, which ranked third in the NFL this season. Third-year right tackle Darnell Wright…finished the season with an 85.6 PFF run-blocking grade, which ranked seventh among all offensive tackles.” Safe to say, the offensive line is doing its job.
In addition, one could argue that to make six fourth-quarter comebacks is not luck. It’s a skill, and that skill comes from the biggest change to the team this year: the coaching. “Ben Johnson has totally changed the culture of Chicago,” Junior Evan Hoffman stated. “Just go watch a comparison video of his post-game speeches and Matt Eberflus’ post-game speeches, and you’ll see what I mean. Simply put, Ben Johnson has brought the energy back into the Bears, and he’s so determined to make us win big. It’s a phenomenal change.”
It is unfair to view the Bears as a team bound to be unstable in the playoffs after nearly no one expected them to even have a positive record. For the Bears, this is just year two with their franchise quarterback—who recently set the franchise record for the most passing yards in a single season—and year one with Ben Johnson. They also have promising rookies, such as Coleston Loveland and Luther Burden III. Exactly forty years since their historic 1985-86 season, this team outshines nearly every Bears team since then—and they certainly outshine the Green Bay Packers.
