Let’s not pretend this was pretty football. The Bears looked like they were sleepwalking through 50 minutes of that Week 4 showdown against the Raiders. But when it mattered most? Chicago finally found its pulse, ripped out a win, and hit a franchise milestone with their 800th victory. That 25-24 comeback didn’t just get them back to .500 heading into the bye — it felt like a gut-check, a culture win, the kind of moment good teams build off.
So who earned their stripes in this one? Who stepped the hell up and dragged this team over the finish line? Let’s break down the five Bears who were absolute dogs in Week 4.
1. Josh Blackwell
This man doesn’t even start, but on Sunday, he finished the damn game.
With 38 seconds left, Raiders kicker Daniel Carlson lined up for a 54-yard dagger. Enter Josh Blackwell, who flew off the left edge like he was shot out of a cannon and got his hands on the kick. Ballgame. Bears win.
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It wasn’t just luck, either. This was all prep. According to the team, long snapper Scott Daly noticed Raiders snapper Jacob Bobenmoyer had a little twitch before snapping. Blackwell timed it perfectly and turned what should’ve been another Bears collapse into a win that snapped years of late-game PTSD.
Blackwell called it an “out-of-body experience.” Fans called it the happiest they’ve been in years. Either way, this play mattered. It was the kind of moment that’s been missing from Bears football since… hell, since Peanut Tillman was punching out footballs.
2. Kevin Byard III
Let’s be real — when the Bears brought in Byard, the bar was set high. He had a solid year in 2024, but the start of this season felt flat. Until Sunday, the returns were just… mid. But against the Raiders? Dude flipped the switch and looked like an All-Pro again.
Byard picked off Geno Smith twice in the first half. Same damn route concept. Same damn quarterback mistake. And Byard read it like a children’s book. Those two INTs flipped the field and gift-wrapped the offense golden field position.
He also racked up 7 tackles and a TFL, but more importantly, he looked like the alpha of this defense. And considering this unit forced four turnovers for the second week in a row, Byard’s fingerprints were all over it.
If this is the version of Byard Chicago is getting the rest of the way, Dennis Allen’s defense might have some actual bite.
3. Rome Odunze
Four catches. 69 yards. One touchdown. A statement.
Odunze wasn’t just playing in front of his hometown Vegas crowd — he was reminding every scout who passed on him why he went #9 overall. His 27-yard score was the Bears’ first lead of the day, coming right after a Stevenson pick. He also added a clutch 17-yard grab on the game-winning drive.
Oh, and that touchdown? He’s now the only NFL receiver to snag a TD in each of the first four games this year. Five straight if you count last season. That ties Alshon Jeffery’s franchise record to start a season.
Rookie? Sure. But he’s looking like WR1 already.
4. Caleb Williams
Look, 22/37 for 212 yards and a 73.3 rating isn’t lighting up the stat sheet. But numbers be damned, Williams showed why he’s that dude.
With 6:45 left, down two, and Maxx Crosby breathing down his neck, Caleb orchestrated an 11-play, 69-yard masterpiece. He hit 4 of 5 throws, scrambled for 18 yards, and milked over five minutes off the clock. Only faced one third down. Ice cold.
That’s poise. That’s leadership. That’s QB1 material.
Maxx Crosby did punk him for a pick earlier in the game, but Williams didn’t flinch. That’s growth. That’s how you flip the script from “bust watch” to “this kid might actually be the guy.”
Coach Ben Johnson told him before the drive, “this is what you’re made for.”
Turns out, he’s built different.
5. D’Andre Swift
Swift’s first half? Trash. One rushing yard. The whole team looked allergic to the run game.
But when it came time to seal the deal, Swift came alive. He converted a do-or-die 3rd-and-4 in the red zone and then punched in the game-winner from 2 yards out with 1:34 left.
His final line? 14 carries, 38 yards (2.7 YPC), plus two catches for 12. Still ugly. But when you needed a veteran back to get north-south and hit paydirt, Swift delivered.
The Bears’ rushing attack has been limp all year, and Swift hasn’t been the spark they hoped for. But on that last drive, he redeemed every stalled possession before it.
Let’s not crown him, but let’s be honest: the Bears don’t win this game without that run.
Final Verdict
It wasn’t pretty. It wasn’t dominant. But it was gritty, and sometimes that’s all you need heading into a bye week. For the first time in a long time, the Bears found a way to win instead of inventing a new way to lose.
That’s a shift. That’s culture change. And these five guys were at the center of it.
Let’s see if they can keep that dawg in them after the break.
