The situation was an incredibly dangerous one. The Chicago Bears clung to a 27-21 lead. They were 58 yards away from a field goal. A punt would hopefully pin New England deep in their own zone with around a minute and a half left. The defense would just have to prevent a touchdown. However, a field goal would put the Bears up nine points, meaning the Patriots would need two scores to win. That meant score, recover the onside kick, and score again. Far worse odds of winning. There was a big problem for head coach Ben Johnson, though. Well, two actually.

One was that kicker Cairo Santos had just doinked a field goal attempt on the previous drive. That was from 53 yards. Would you really ask him to try again from 5 yards further out? A distance he had never before hit in his career? To the absolute shock of everybody, Johnson sent out the kicking team. No one thought this was a good idea. So you can imagine the reaction when Santos sent the kick straight down the pipe, putting the Bears up 30-21 and putting the game out of reach.

When asked after the game what possessed him to trust his kicker in that situation despite the obvious concerns, Johnson kept it simple.

“Just because he missed doesn’t mean we won’t go back to him…He has ice in his veins.”

Ben Johnson trusted Santos’ guts, not his talent.

His assessment was not wrong. Since joining the Bears in 2020, Santos has kicked 56 field goals in the 4th quarter. He has connected on 47 of them. That is good for an 83.93% accuracy rate. Six of them were “clutch” kicks that either delivered the Bears a win as time expired or proved the difference in the final score. Johnson is correct. Santos seems to play his best when the chips are down. The coach was willing to gamble on that, which is not something many head coaches would be.

It shows you how much Ben Johnson trusts both the player’s grit and his own instincts for the moment. You can’t always trust the numbers. Sometimes you have to believe a player will come through for you. That is exactly what Santos did. Now the Bears are 5-2 with a massive opportunity to make a statement in the NFC next month when they go to Seattle. Don’t be surprised if that kick becomes a signature moment of a special season.

Santos is a fighter.

That is something you don’t usually say about kickers because of the position they play. This is a guy who’s had people after his job for years. Every time a team misses a kick, everybody starts yapping about the team needing to replace him. Find somebody with a stronger leg who can finally give the Bears some distance help. Yet every time, Santos rallies. He nails a big kick to clinch a win and returns to his usual steadiness. A lot of guys couldn’t handle that kind of pressure in a city like this.

See Cody Parkey.

It seems rather fitting that Santos is in this position. He embodies the spirit of Robbie Gould in many ways. He doesn’t have that big leg everybody loves, but he’s accurate and as mentally tough as they come. This is why Johnson had no problem trusting the guy. It doesn’t matter what position you play. Certain guys just have guts. Santos is one of them.

The Chicago Bears were staring down the toughest part of their schedule going into Thursday night. They would have to take down the defending AFC champion New England Patriots, then go on the road against the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks. It felt like they had to get a win against at least one of them to feel safe about their playoff hopes going into the bye next month. New England was a tough test on only four days’ rest. They boasted a top 10 defense and a red-hot quarterback in Drake Maye.

How would they respond?

With one of their best overall team efforts of the season. Chicago stared the Patriots dead in the eye and didn’t blink. They overcame some ugly dropped passes and missed field goals to still prevail 30-24. However, this wasn’t one of those games where it was a coaching showcase. Sure, head coach Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Dennis Allen had their moments, but this game belongs to the Bears’ stars—everybody who needed to show up for this game delivered in big moments.

The Chicago Bears got contributions from all of the big names.

Of course, it started with quarterback Caleb Williams, who delivered his second consecutive 300-yard game with 2 touchdowns and no interceptions. He completed 66.7% of his passes and probably would’ve had over 70% again if not for some drops. Next was Luther Burden, who had his best game of the season with 130 yards. One catch set up a short touchdown for D’Andre Swift, and he scored another touchdown on a bubble screen to the house. New England had no answers for him.

Then there were Colston Loveland and Rome Odunze. The two 1st round picks had an ugly start to the game, combining for 3 drops. It looked like they might contribute to a team collapse. However, both young men rallied down the stretch. Loveland caught a touchdown to put the Chicago Bears up 27-21. Odunze made two incredible catches to convert 1st downs, keep the clock moving, and get that last field goal to make it 30-21. Then, just for good measure, he recovered the onside kick to seal the victory.

It was the same on defense as well.

Kyler Gordon added his 4th sack in two games since his return, not to mention two tackles for a loss. Dillon Thieneman again led the team with 7 tackles and combined with Daniel Hardy on another sack. Rookie receiver Zavion Thomas had a 47-yard kick return, and Tory Taylor, despite a quieter evening, averaged 53.5 yards per punt. Last but not least, Cairo Santos overcame a missed field goal that could’ve lost them the game to deliver a career-long 58-yarder to put it out of reach. When we say this was a team victory, it truly was.

All the big guys showed up against one of the best teams in the league. This wasn’t a case where the Patriots gave the game away. They played well. It just didn’t matter. The Bears played the better game across the board. Stars for stars, Chicago answered the bell. That is what great teams do. People can talk about the losses to Minnesota and Green Bay all day. The facts haven’t changed. This team is ready to make a run.

The Chicago Bears defense looked like a deer in headlights going into Atlanta last weekend. They’d just lost Montez Sweat to suspension and Dayo Odeyingbo to a quad injury. Two vital pieces of their pass rush were gone, with no clear answers on the depth chart. Going against that loaded Atlanta Falcons defense felt like a nightmare waiting to happen. So naturally, the Bears sacked Michael Penix 5 times. Much of the credit for that went to cornerback Kyler Gordon, who notched 3 of them as a lethal blitzer. However, they got a major unexpected contribution from Daniel Hardy.

Chicago’s long-time special teams ace was thrust into the spotlight on Sunday and delivered, collecting 6 pressures, including a sack. It was a totally unexpected performance. Remember, before that game, he’d logged only 47 total snaps on defense, collecting 6 pressures and a QB hit. This was his first start, and he put up the same numbers in 11 fewer snaps. Is it possible the Bears had a hidden gem waiting in the wings this whole time? We’re about to find out on Thursday night against New England.

How he plays could determine so much of what happens next.

Daniel Hardy might prompt a shift in Bears’ trade deadline strategy.

Right now, most people agree that the primary target looking ahead to November 10th should be a pass rusher. Names like Khalil Mack and Josh Sweat have already been connected to them in the previous few weeks. In a division loaded with notable quarterbacks, they have to find ways to get them on the ground. It comes down to what the cost of acquiring one of them will be. However, the discussion may change if Daniel Hardy has another strong performance in primetime.

Anybody can have a surprise performance in the NFL. When you don’t play much, teams lack tape to study of you. That starts to change once you log snaps. Tackles get wiser about how to counter your moves. You can bet that is what the Patriots are doing with Hardy. If he can still deliver despite the opponent being better prepared for him, that will be a signal to the Bears’ brass. Maybe their edge rusher situation isn’t as bad as they thought. That could mean they decide to target a different position next month.

One has to feel good for him.

Remember, Hardy was a 7th round pick of the Los Angeles Rams in 2022. After fighting to make the team, his season was derailed by an injury before it began. All of that momentum was lost, and he was eventually cut in August of 2023. The Bears really liked him. They saw a tremendous athlete with loads of upside despite limited experience at a small college. His special teams prowess alone made him worth a look. That part proved true as he’s become one of their best players in the third phase. Now he finally got to show everybody how much he has learned in the past three years.

If he can help the Bears slow down Drake Maye, he might earn himself a serious place in the rotation. That would then compel GM Ryan Poles to go hunting for help elsewhere, perhaps at cornerback. The team still has clear coverage issues between the struggling Jaylon Johnson and the injured Tyrique Stevenson. Adding a proven body to that mix might be the better way to go.

For his first two seasons, everybody considered Caleb Williams the most disappointing quarterback of the 2024 class. Despite going #1 overall, he had to watch as fellow classmates had greater success. Jayden Daniels went all the way to the NFC Championship as a rookie. Bo Nix made the playoffs. The next year, he and Drake Maye played each other in the AFC Championship, with Maye advancing to his first Super Bowl. As frustrating as that must’ve been for Williams, it wasn’t the worst part.

No, that was losing to those same classmates in head-to-head matchups. The first was the infamous Hail Mary game against Washington in 2024. Then, Maye and the New England Patriots stomped the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. The next season, J.J. McCarthy engineered a wild opening night comeback to win 27-24. Just like that, Williams was 0-3 against the other 2024 draft quarterbacks. The narrative was getting worse.

Apparently, that must’ve flipped a switch. Since then, Williams is 4-0 in his last four games against them, with Maye on deck.

Caleb Williams has something to prove on Thursday night.

When he says he has much love and respect for Maye, it’s probably true. He and Williams developed a friendship coming out of college. However, the best way to describe that is like Michael Jordan with his friends in the NBA. Sure, he’d hang with them away from the court and have fun. However, once they hit the hardwood, he became a stone-cold killer. It didn’t matter what their relationship was. Jordan was going to win and would do anything and everything possible, whether his friends liked it or not.

That is how Caleb Williams will approach this game. He knows what the media is saying. They all believe Maye is the superior quarterback. He’s had to listen to that narrative for the better part of two and a half years. Beyond that, Williams almost certainly hasn’t forgotten the last time Maye visited Soldier Field. Losing to your draft classmate while getting sacked 9 times is not an experience that just goes away. The Bears’ quarterback is plenty eager to show how much has changed.

The entire country will be watching.

If ever there was a time for Williams to stake his claim as the actual best quarterback from the 2024 class, this is it. He conquered the Daniels ghosts, sent McCarthy packing, and outdueled Michael Penix last week. Maye is his true final boss in many ways. He’s thrown 10 touchdowns in the last three games, playing some great football after a rocky start to the season. Taking him down in primetime would leave the critics nowhere left to run and nowhere left to hide. To quote Roman Reigns, they would have no choice but to “Acknowledge him.”

The biggest hurdle won’t be Maye himself, though. It will be that Patriots defense. It’s once again top 10 in the league, headlined by a strong defensive front and playmaking secondary. Williams must be on full alert against them. New England can take over games quickly if you’re not careful. They’ve allowed more than 20 points only twice in six games this season. That has to change.

The Chicago Bears likely remember the last time Drake Maye came to Soldier Field. It was an ugly affair that saw the New England Patriots roll to a 19-3 victory. Maye had a touchdown pass while Caleb Williams was sacked 9 times. It certainly increased the volume from people claiming that Maye was the superior quarterback. That argument gained even more traction when he led the Patriots to the Super Bowl last season. Recently, Maye has shaken off a rough start to the season, throwing 10 touchdowns in his last three games.

This presents a big-time challenge for the Bears’ defense. Every time they’ve run into a good quarterback this season, it hasn’t gone well. They allowed 37 points to Bryce Young in the season opener and 31 against Jordan Love two weeks ago. Maye is absolutely in that same class, if not better. Chicago can’t just pray the offense somehow finds a way to win a shootout. To beat New England, you have to disrupt Maye. The solution isn’t easy, but it is simple.

If you want to beat Maye, you have to sack him.

Drake Maye is good, but he’s hardly anything new.

That is to say, like any other quarterback, he doesn’t like getting hit. His numbers reflect this to a significant degree. Since the start of 2025, Maye has played in 10 games where he was sacked 2 times or fewer. In those games, he averaged 263 yards passing with 25 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. By contrast, in games in which he was sacked 3 or more times, he averaged 238 yards, 23 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions. In other words, when you start getting to him, Maye turns it over a lot.

The message seems pretty clear. If you don’t get to Drake Maye, he’s going to light you up. As most good quarterbacks would. Can the Bears make it happen? That is difficult to answer. Montez Sweat has another game to serve on his PED suspension. Dayo Odeyingbo won’t be back until next month. Daniel Hardy came up big for them last week in Atlanta, but it isn’t a group that inspires much confidence. However, there might be one thing that is working in their favor.

The Patriots’ offensive line is in a bad spot.

It is looking like both of their starting guards will not play in this game. Ben Johnson has a knee injury, and Alijah Vera-Tucker tweaked his knee. If that weren’t enough, right tackle Morgan Moses is dealing with a foot issue that leaves him questionable. Even in their depleted state, the Bears should be able to take advantage of those losses. Much depends on whether they can stop New England’s ground attack, which has been better than last season. Maye is often at his best off play action.

Dennis Allen is a tremendous defensive coordinator, but he can’t do everything for the defense. Guys must win their matchups to make this happen. They managed to sack Michael Penix 5 times last weekend. Maybe they create some of that same magic against Maye. If not, they’d better hope Williams brings that same magic he showed against Atlanta.

The Chicago Bears have been battling injuries like every other team in the NFL. How you navigate them is often what separates the bad from the good. Granted, Chicago’s had it tougher than most. They lost Caleb Williams for nearly a month to a hamstring issue. Coby Bryant was lost before the season even began. Kyler Gordon missed the first five games and Dayo Odeyingbo just went on IR with a quad issue. So it didn’t feel great when Jonah Jackson left Sunday’s game in Atlanta with a hip injury.

Initial projections indicated that the right guard would miss time. The turnaround for Thursday night’s game against the New England Patriots was too short anyway. That meant the Bears would have to lean on Jordan McFadden or Luke Newman to fill the spot.

Then something improbable happened. After not practicing on Monday, Jackson was limited on Tuesday. That was the first indication that the guard might be trying to play. Still, the lack of time wasn’t in his favor. People weren’t getting their hopes up. Then the bombshell hit.

Jonah Jackson playing can’t be overstated.

It isn’t just because he’s a really good player. Jackson has been having one of his best seasons up to this point, forming a devastating run-blocking combination with Darnell Wright. It is the timing. The Bears are about to play a strong Patriots defense that carried that team to a Super Bowl last season. Its secret to success is a strong interior defensive line led by Milton Williams, Christian Barmore, and Dre’Mont Jones. They are a big reason New England has 14 sacks and ranks #9 against the run this season.

While known for his run-blocking, Jackson has only allowed 9 pressures on the quarterback this season, including no sacks. That Pro Bowl version of himself many thought was gone after leaving Detroit has resurfaced. The Bears are a far more dangerous offense when he’s on the field. If they have any hope of tangling with that Patriots front, he is a vital component. It remains to be seen how healthy he truly is, but it’s pretty clear he feels good enough to practice without restrictions.

The next two games are big ones.

At 4-2, the Bears have a real chance to position themselves well in the NFC playoff picture. However, that can change quickly. After facing New England on Thursday night, they have to head up to Seattle to face the Seahawks. That is a brutal 1-2 punch. It feels like Chicago has to take one of them to keep their season from getting off track, especially with how strong the NFC North is again. This next game feels like better odds. The Bears will be at home and facing an opponent that is also dealing with tons of injuries.

Besides, beating the Patriots has often come down to simple math. If you run the ball well, your odds improve. Since last season, three of their five losses saw them give up at least 100 yards on the ground. Another saw it at 97. That makes Jackson’s presence all the more crucial. Without Kyle Monangai in the backfield, the Bears badly need their offensive line to provide enough room.