The Chicago Bears had plenty to feel good about with their victory on Sunday over the Atlanta Falcons. Caleb Williams was excellent in his return from injury, throwing for over 300 yards and a touchdown. Kyler Gordon was unstoppable, notching 3 sacks in just 17 total snaps. They once again looked like a team ready to compete in the playoffs. However, not everything went their way. Injuries struck again. This time, it was right guard Jonah Jackson, who’s been playing at a Pro Bowl level, leaving with a hip issue.

Head coach Ben Johnson declared him week to week. While it’s unlikely he goes on Injured Reserve, there is a strong probability he will miss Thursday Night Football against the New England Patriots. This means the Bears are likely to turn to Luke Newman as their starter. The former 6th round pick has often been the forgotten man of that 2025 draft class, stuck behind Jackson and Joe Thuney. He stepped in on Sunday after the former went down and played well, helping the team to a game-clinching touchdown.

Jonah Jackson being out gives Newman and the Bears a big opportunity.

General manager Ryan Poles and the coaching staff were drawn to the Michigan State product for his excellent athleticism and durability. They felt he was a perfect fit for their outside-zone rushing scheme. He also had lots of versatility, able to play any of the three interior positions. Unfortunately, he hasn’t gotten many chances to play. He only logged 75 snaps last season, the vast majority coming on special teams. The 27 snaps he played Sunday after Jackson went down were the most he’s played in a game in his career.

It was confusing for many that it took this long. After Ozzy Trapilo injured his knee against Green Bay in the playoffs, the Bears were forced to move Joe Thuney out to left tackle. Most expected Newman to slide into that guard spot. Instead, they went with journeyman Jordan McFadden. The reasoning given was that Newman, who was a rookie, had logged most of his practice reps at right guard. There aren’t any excuses anymore. Jonah Jackson being out leaves that right guard spot wide open. Newman has been preparing for almost two years for this moment.

Newman faces an unenviable task.

The Patriots defense is among the toughest in the NFL. Much of that comes from their excellent interior defensive line of Milton Williams and Christian Barmore. That pairing combined for 5.5 sacks and 19 QB hits last season. New England was 6th in the league against the run. This season has been much of the same. They have 3 sacks and 7 QB hits combined. The Patriots are 9th against the run. Blocking that duo is asking a lot of a mostly untried young guard like Newman.

What limited action he’s seen offers hope. In 29 pass blocking snaps, Newman has allowed 1 pressure. His run-blocking, while not a strength, has been serviceable. The Bears don’t need him to be a world-beater. Just don’t get steamrolled. If Newman can put together a strong showing on Thursday night, he may have a future as a starter once Thuney or Jackson decides to retire.

The Minnesota Vikings might be undefeated, but much of that is thanks to the excellent coaching. Some of their roster decisions in recent years can and should be called into question. The Chicago Bears certainly don’t mind. They benefited from one of them last year when the Vikings cut cornerback Nahshon Wright right before the season. Chicago brought him in as some much-needed depth, and he ended up snagging 5 interceptions, helping them win the division for the first time in seven years.

One would hope Minnesota learned its lesson and is extra careful about which players they unload. By the look of things, the answer is known. For the second year in a row, the Bears plucked somebody the Vikings tried to sneak onto the practice squad. This time, it was running back Zavier Scott. The former undrafted free agent played in small spurts on offense for Minnesota last season while also serving on special teams. That second part was why the Bears wanted him, and for good reason. In the past two weeks, Scott has 4 special teams tackles. That includes 3 on Sunday in Atlanta with a forced fumble. Adam Hoge of CHGO believes he’s playing his way onto the main roster.

“Rules allow for three weekly elevations from the practice squad, meaning Scott could be elevated one more time before the Bears would be required to sign him to the 53-man roster to use him on game day. But keep in mind that practice squad players are also eligible to be signed to any team’s 53-man roster at any time, and that comes with a significant pay bump. I’d imagine other special teams coordinators around the league are noticing Scott’s play too, so that’s something to keep in mind.”

The Chicago Bears have to wonder what the Vikings were thinking.

Scott demonstrated the same special teams prowess last season, collecting 4 special teams tackles. That is pretty good for your first season of actual playing time. One would think it was a strong enough showing to caution the Vikings against letting him walk. After all, they had the 22nd-ranked special teams in 2025. You shouldn’t be letting promising players in that phase go. Yet they did. Now the Chicago Bears, who were far more respectable 12th in kick and punt coverage, added another quality piece. They currently rank 8th. Minnesota ranks 30th.

Kudos for this must go to two men: general manager Ryan Poles and special teams coordinator Richard Hightower. They have formed an impressive combination when it comes to finding capable special teams players. Poles does a great job scouting for them, and Hightower develops them into quality performers. Daniel Hardy and Josh Blackwell are two shining examples. Scott is rapidly inserting himself into that same conversation, no doubt leaving the Vikings wondering if they made a mistake.

Scott hasn’t even gotten an opportunity on offense.

Don’t forget he’s a running back by trade. While his college stats never popped much, the tape showed someone with a good mix of vision and strength. He had some quality runs for Minnesota last year when the team was dealing with injuries. One would think head coach Ben Johnson, who loves running the football, might give him some opportunities at some point. So far, that hasn’t been the case. The Bears have stuck with the combo of D’Andre Swift and Roschon Johnson.

Either way, it’s now clear the team has a major depth addition. Scott is becoming a core member of their special teams and should serve as a viable backup option at running back in the long term. No doubt he is eager to show the Vikings something when the teams next meet later this season. It is always fun when you know you stole a good player from one of your rivals.

The Chicago Bears know a thing or two about injury issues. They were plagued by them most of last season, especially on defense. It’s been much the same this year. Dayo Odeyingbo landed on Injured Reserve with a quad injury, joining Coby Bryant, who’s been out for months. T.J. Edwards and Tyrique Stevenson are ailing with hamstring problems. It isn’t much better on the offense. Kyle Monangai missed the past two games with turf toe. Now Jonah Jackson is ailing with a hip problem.

It’s a tough situation to be in. Incredibly, the Bears might have it pretty easy. Their upcoming opponent on Thursday night, the New England Patriots, has it significantly worse. They were already banged up going into Sunday against the New York Jets, and the casualties kept mounting. Not only did they lose leading receiver Rome Doubs, but three of their offensive linemen also left the game and didn’t return. It’s so bad that they could be without 7 starters and two primary backups going into this game.

Most of them are on offense.

The Chicago Bears have an opportunity in front of them.

All of the losses hurt for New England, but the two that could impact them the most are Doubs and Alijah Vera-Tucker. Doubs was leading the team in receiving, stepping up big for the struggling A.J. Brown. He was already placed on Injured Reserve. Vera-Tucker is their most experienced and reliable guard. He’s not looking likely because of a hamstring problem. This could create tons of confusion along the interior, which is a vital component of their protection for quarterback Drake Maye.

That is a bad thing. The Patriots have managed to control games thanks to a better rushing attack this season. Losing two guards and maybe your right tackle makes that so much harder. Getting into 3rd-and-long situations against the Chicago Bears has been a nightmare this season. New England has managed to avoid it a lot this year because of the running game. As good as Maye is, he tends to start taking sacks if forced into obvious passing situations.

This game will be a huge test.

Despite their health issues, New England remains a well-coached team. They have a top-10 defense and a top-10 quarterback. That combination makes you difficult to beat. Chicago will be at home. Ben Johnson tends to be pretty good on short turnarounds, holding a 3-1 record in such games. If the Bears play as they did on Sunday against Atlanta, they have a good chance to topple the reigning AFC champions. That would certainly send a message to the rest of the league.

The quarterbacks will decide this game. Can Caleb Williams find holes against that tough Patriots unit? Can the Bears do enough to confuse Maye? Chicago will learn a lot about themselves either way. Good teams usually find ways to exploit opposing weaknesses. The Patriots have their fair share, especially on a short week. This should be a game the Bears win under such circumstances.

The Chicago Bears were thrilled to have Caleb Williams back on Sunday after three games without him. It was obvious the offense missed the young quarterback’s playmaking ability. What nobody knew for certain was how healthy Williams would be. Hamstring injuries are tricky to return from. They can linger for a long time. Would the quarterback be like his old self? The answer in Atlanta was no. He wasn’t the off-script magician everybody knew and loved. He was something different. Something more dangerous.

Williams looked in total control throughout the game. Despite four sacks by the Falcons defense, it didn’t seem to matter. The Bears quarterback finished 30-for-36 for 305 yards and a touchdown. It was a level of efficiency this team has rarely seen from him prior to this season. One of the biggest digs on Williams was his inability to consistently connect on the easier throws, living too much off big plays. This was one of the first games in which he did both, and Atlanta had no answer for it.

It was so good that both Tom Brady and Kurt Warner admitted that it was the best performance of his career.

Caleb Williams may have reached his final form.

One of the biggest fears among NFL teams was that the quarterback would one day learn to play the game properly. That meant mixing his off-script wizardry with a steady diet of completions from the pocket. As a defense, you can learn to defend one or the other. Never both at the same time. This is why the Bears were so excited to draft him. They knew if they could get him to that point, this team would become a viable contender in the NFC. Sunday was a clear example of why.

Remember, Brady and Warner are staunch NFL traditionalists when it comes to the quarterback position. They believe that you must learn to execute with precision from the pocket if you want to win championships. For them to say Caleb Williams has evolved in that department is impossible to ignore. Fans have already seen what this type of evolution can become. They’re seeing it every week with Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes. They saw it years ago with Steve Young. The combination is lethal.

Maybe the injury was a blessing in disguise.

There is no doubt that Williams wasn’t nearly as eager to run in this game compared to others. Sure, he was willing to move when necessary, but it’s pretty apparent he was reluctant to fully test that hamstring. This compelled him to play the game more from the pocket. That meant stacking completions and staying ahead of the sticks. Run the game like a point guard rather than a sharp shooter. It might not be as flashy, but it’s effective when done right. Williams handled the role to perfection.

The smart thing for him to do is stick to this approach. Continue distributing to his playmakers, and only bring out the Superman cape when the situation calls for it. We saw what Ben Johnson’s offense was like when you had one piece of the puzzle. Jared Goff could do the pocket stuff in Detroit. Williams could do the off-script stuff last year. What happens when you combine the two? Nobody wants to know.

Going into the 2026 NFL draft, the safety position was considered one of the stronger ones in the class. Most of that was thanks to the presence of two names: Ohio State’s Caleb Downs and Oregon’s Dillon Thieneman. It was a classic case of the polished gem against the uniquely gifted athlete. Most felt Downs was the better all-around player. Thieneman was the better athlete who might become great if he continued to hone his craft. That is why the Dallas Cowboys took Downs 12th overall in the 1st round. The Chicago Bears managed to scoop Thieneman 25th.

For the first few weeks, it looked like Dallas made the right call. Downs had 17 tackles, a sack, and 2 forced fumbles in his first two games. However, the narrative has begun shifting recently. In the past 3 games, opponents have completed 13-of-13 passes when targeting him for 130 yards and a touchdown. They’re starting to wonder if he might be a liability in coverage. Meanwhile, Thieneman added a sack to his growing list of accomplishments against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.

People are starting to question how high Downs’ ceiling is.

Dillon Thieneman has had his rough moments, too.

He was beaten for a touchdown for the second week in a row by Atlanta. However, there is an important difference to note. Talent had nothing to do with those cases. Thieneman was in good coverage against Green Bay last week. He just failed to get his head turned around to make a play on the ball. That is a common rookie mistake. On the second one, he was put in a tough spot by a Falcons pick play, forcing him to make a really difficult tackle on Kyle Pitts, who is 6’6″ and 250 lbs. He almost did.

The point is that there hasn’t been a situation yet this season where Dillon Thieneman has looked like a liability. He can do everything asked of him, be it as a run defender, blitzer, or cover man. Such hasn’t been the case with Downs. While he remains a great run defender and blitzer, he has a clear weakness when asked to play coverage. Opponents have discovered this reality and are finding ways to exploit it. There were warnings from draft experts that this might become a problem if the team drafting him didn’t account for it.

The Bears have to be pretty happy with their luck.

They admitted it was surprising that Thieneman was available. They felt there was a good chance the young safety would go much earlier in the 1st round. Perhaps there was even the possibility that Dallas took him instead. For him to fall to #25 feels like a blessing. It’s too soon to make grand proclamations on the career of him or Downs. Both still have a lot of growing to do. That said, it can at least be stated that Thieneman has closed the gap on him as an overall prospect as their rookie seasons approach the halfway mark.

The Cowboys better hope Downs eventually overcomes his current issues. It won’t be a great look if the safety Chicago took at the end of the 1st round turns out to be better than the one they took with a borderline top-10 pick. It is another reminder that the draft is far from straightforward. Sometimes even the obvious choices don’t pan out as you expect.

The Chicago Bears took care of business on Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons. While the final score was 31-23, it was never that close. Chicago was in control from the outset, scoring on their opening drive and eventually building a 31-7 lead. Two 4th quarter touchdowns by the Falcons made it look better than it actually was. The Bears merely took their foot off the gas. Much of this win came down to their ability to control the line of scrimmage, which was a surprise given how solid Atlanta is on both sides of the ball. At the heart of that success, unsurprisingly, was Darnell Wright.

The star right tackle had another excellent game, allowing only one pressure all afternoon. However, his crowning moment wasn’t a normal pass block. It came in the 2nd quarter. Already up 14-0, the Bears were looking to deliver an early kill shot. Caleb Williams fired a screen pass to wide receiver Kalif Raymond, who picked up 5 yards. Unfortunately, it was called back due to a holding penalty on Wright. Replays quickly showed what happened. The hold, if you can call it that, felt more like a message. Wright took Falcons defensive back Sydney Brown and turned him into road kill.

Darnell Wright certainly got the message across.

While the ensuing field goal on the drive was no good and Atlanta scored a quick touchdown, the Bears seemed to seize total control after that. Their next drive wiped out most of the remaining quarter, capped by a Tory Taylor muffed punt and a D’Andre Swift touchdown. Wright was a presence on every snap, failing to allow Atlanta defenders to find any rhythm. Another of his punishing run blocks paved the way for a Roschon Johnson touchdown to make it 28-7 towards the end of the 3rd quarter.

There are plenty of tough offensive linemen out there. However, not all of them know how to set the tone with their play. Darnell Wright is absolutely one of those guys. While his nasty pancake of Brown was a penalty, you probably didn’t see many angry coaches on the sideline upon seeing the replay. They understood what that kind of block can do to the psyche of the opponent. It sends a message that you’d better buckle that chip strap. Every single snap is going to be a war. Often, defenses aren’t ready for that.

More of that will be needed in the next two weeks.

The Bears enter what is probably the most pivotal stretch of their season. If they want to know whether they are ready for the big time, it’ll be determined in the next two games. First, they’ll host the New England Patriots at Soldier Field, and then head northwest to Seattle to face the Seahawks. Last year’s Super Bowl participants are considered the bar you must get over if you want to enter that conversation. Both teams got there through tough, physical play. If the Bears fancy themselves that type of team, they need to prove it.

That is where Wright comes in. You need certain guys to help establish that sort of identity. The big right tackle has consistently been one of their toughest and most physical players. Atlanta was merely the latest to find that out the hard way. If the Bears can get past those two teams, the narrative on them will shift from fun watch to legitimate contender. It’s rather fitting since Wright was the one who started it all.

Atlanta Falcons rookie linebacker Kendal Daniels suffered a scary neck injury during Sunday’s game against the Chicago Bears. The fourth-round pick out of Oklahoma came in like a missile to make a tackle on Bears tight end Colston Loveland across the middle. Daniels immediately keeled over after contact and was eventually carted off the field. The side of Daniels’ head went straight into Loveland’s left knee.

It was quite alarming watching from home as Fox went to two commercial breaks as medical personnel attended to Daniels before he was rushed off to Grady Memorial Hospital for further evaluation.

As you could hear throughout the game, Mercedes-Benz Stadium was packed with Bears fans, so much so that the Falcons’ head coach, Kevin Stefanski, admitted that Atlanta had to use a silent count despite playing at home. Unfortunately, one cringy moment painted Bears fans in a horrible light: Daniels lay motionless on the field after his tackle on Loveland, and the stadium soon filled with “Green Bay Sucks” chants.

https://t.co/bC9DoXhVms

— VIDEO (@pahrduve) October 19, 2026

These chants have gone viral over the past year as the Bears finally exorcised their demons against the Packers on the field, culminating in an incredible playoff comeback win at Soldier Field. Whether you think the chants outside of a football game are appropriate, as both Cubs and White Sox fans have each made them part of their respective stadium experiences, you can’t really argue whether or not Bears fans in Atlanta were being stupid for chanting Green Bay Sucks while a player was being carted off after a serious-looking injury.

However, we later found the reason for the chants. It turns out one Packers fan, decked in green and gold, may have been egging on the Bears fans around him, sparking the chants captured on the Fox broadcast.

A similar event happened back in the summer at Wrigley Field, where a fan in the outfield bleachers started waving a Packers flag.

Sure, you could say that Bears fans could have ignored that Packers fan in Atlanta, but let’s not pretend like he didn’t want the attention. Out of context, it looks like a classless gesture, but Bears fans weren’t just filling dead air with their new battle cry; they were directing it at that dude in Packers gear.

Fortunately for Daniels, he was released from the hospital on Sunday and was even back in the Falcons’ locker room following the game.

Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles knew he didn’t have many swings in the 2024 NFL draft due to previous trades. That meant he had to make every pick count. His first was by far the most important, and quarterback Caleb Williams has absolutely been a terrific selection. Wide receiver Rome Odunze came next. While he hasn’t been the star many hoped for, he has been a steady, productive player. Kiran Amegadjie came in the 3rd round. Sadly, the young tackle just never developed as hoped. Poles’ trade back into the draft for a 5th round pick produced Austin Booker. He’s been rock solid as a pass rusher. Most people tend to gloss over the last name on the list: Tory Taylor.

Drafting punters has always been considered an unwise endeavor. The position doesn’t have the same importance as those on offense and defense. Still, Poles felt Taylor was a rare talent with the potential to impact games. For the past two seasons, that hasn’t really been the case. He was middle-of-the-road in every stat category, failing to stand out enough to justify the pick.

All of that has changed. Not only is Taylor in the top 10 for yards per punt for the first time, but he has suddenly developed a weapon that opponents have no idea how to deal with. It’s tilting games in the Bears’ favor.

The Tory Taylor “banana ball” has become dangerous.

For those who haven’t heard the term banana ball before, it first appeared after the Bears’ week 1 win over the Carolina Panthers. It is essentially where the punter kicks the ball in such a way that it starts one direction before curving back the other. While difficult to pull off, it can be devastating because it is difficult for returners to track. Taylor deployed it again on Sunday in Atlanta, once again producing a muffed punt. This time, special teams ace Josh Blackwell recovered it on the Falcons’ 10-yard line, and just three plays later, it was Swift plunging into the end zone, giving the Bears a commanding 21-7 heading into halftime.

While punters have tried to put unique spins and angles on their kicks in the past, none of them has done it with such precision as Tory Taylor has. Banana balls are incredibly difficult. You must strike the ball at just the right angle to produce the spin needed. It’s easier in soccer because the ball is a standard sphere. Football is oval-shaped, with less real estate to work with. Being off by even a couple of centimeters ruins the attempt. Managing to do this twice in six games is an impressive feat, all while still giving the Bears quality field position with his normal kicks.

Poles might be owed an apology.

He took a lot of heat for selecting Taylor two years ago. Grabbing a punter over possible help at running back or defensive back at the time felt reckless. Conventional wisdom says you can always find such players on the undrafted market. The Bears GM bucked that trend, aiming to infuse his roster with players he considered unique talents. It took a couple of seasons, but Taylor seems to have found his groove. While he might not be your classic booming punter, he is easily one of the most difficult to face because you have no idea what he may throw at you from kick to kick.

That is how you become feared. Don’t be shocked if future opponents start game planning to face Taylor, instructing their returners on how to handle that banana ball. You know you’ve made it when things like that happen. You can debate whether Taylor is the best punter in the NFL. It depends on the criteria. However, he is quickly becoming one of the most feared. Chicago will be perfectly fine with that.