The Chicago Bears had a big problem. As they prepared for a showdown with the powerhouse San Francisco 49ers on Sunday night, their locker room was beset with a flu epidemic. No fewer than eight players were listed with the illness designation on the injury report leading up to the game. Probably the biggest name caught in the chaos was Darnell Wright. Chicago’s stud right tackle has been a fixture for their offensive success this season. He popped up on the injury report just 24 hours before game time. It was bad enough that the team chose not to bring him on the trip west. Most took that as a sign he wouldn’t be playing.

Then things got interesting. According to new information, Wright arose at 4:00 a.m. on Sunday, determined to make the trip. The Bears chartered a private jet for him. A lone trainer accompanied him the entire time, ensuring he received proper care. Upon landing, he rejoined the team for preparations and ended up starting the game. He did not miss a snap. That in itself was impressive. However, the fact that the Bears didn’t give up a single sack on Caleb Williams and put up 440 yards of offense should make this one of the most impressive performances by any Chicago athlete in recent memory.

Darnell Wright embodies what this new Bears team is all about.

Ben Johnson said he wants to build a team that is about violence, toughness, and resilience. Nobody has lived up to that credo more than Wright. He’s battled through some health issues this year and pieced together a Pro Bowl-caliber season. The Bears don’t have the #3 rushing attack in the NFL without him. They don’t allow just 23 sacks in 16 games without him. He is a star and also one of their most unselfish players. He wasn’t obligated to play in that game. Nobody would’ve blamed him for resting.

He played anyway.

Ryan Poles deserves credit. He did a ton of homework on Darnell Wright. Many experts felt he was a mid-1st round pick at best. The Bears GM saw something more. He felt the big kid from Tennessee was not just a terrific athlete for his gigantic size, but also an incredible worker with a grinder mentality. Those types of guys make up winning teams. Now Wright has become an anchor for the NFC North champions.

The Minnesota Vikings are in an awkward spot right now. They seem to have a roster that is fully capable of a deep playoff run. Unfortunately, they have a glaring weakness at the quarterback position. J.J. McCarthy hasn’t shown many signs of progress. The decision to let Sam Darnold walk looks worse by the day. Trying to find solutions won’t be easy since the team has neither the draft position nor the money to throw around. Unfortunately, the problems don’t end there for them. Another is emerging with Brian Flores.

Most would agree that the former head coach has been the best defensive coordinator in the NFL this year. His unit ranks 5th in the NFL. If that holds, it will mark the second straight season Flores’ defense finishes a year in the top five in either points allowed or total yards. The widespread belief is that he’s the sharpest mind going in the league today, and yet the Vikings haven’t extended his contract, meaning he could become a free agent this offseason. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk warns that it may come back to haunt them.

Another team is preparing a full-court press to lure him away.

While the Vikings attempt to extend the expiring contract of defensive coordinator Brian Flores, it won’t matter if another team wants to hire him to be a head coach. It will matter if another team is thinking about hiring him as its next defensive coodinator.

There could be more than one. But one such team that is lurking is the Cowboys.

Dallas seems to be destined to fire defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus, after a disastrous reunion year. (Never mind the fact that owner/G.M. Jerry Jones traded the defense’s best player 10 days before Week 1.) And the increasing chatter in league circles is that the Cowboys will be firmly in play for Flores.

The Vikings, we’re told, are keenly aware of the possibility.

Dallas has the bait to get Brian Flores.

For one, Jerry Jones has deep pockets. He would have zero issues paying top dollar for the young defensive coordinator. Dallas has plenty of quality players on defense, headlined by Quinnen Williams. Last but not least, the Cowboys boast something the Vikings can’t. They have a proven quarterback. Getting to coordinate a defense across from Dak Prescott would almost certainly improve his odds of winning a championship and pushing his star high enough for another shot at a head coaching job.

Words cannot describe how disastrous this would be for Minnesota. Brian Flores is the primary reason this team has been considered a Super Bowl contender. Opponents fear his wild and crazy schemes. The chances of finding somebody as good or better if he leaves are incredibly low. Remember, Dallas has a long history of hiring big-name defensive coordinators. They grabbed Rob Ryan in 2011, Monte Kiffin in 2013, Rod Marinelli in 2014, and Dan Quinn in 2021. This is the sort of thing they do.

Bears fans should be hoping Jerry gets it done, because it would instantly make a division rival considerably weaker.

Ben Johnson and the Chicago Bears offense were excellent on Sunday night in San Francisco. They put up 31 points and over 400 total yards. That had not happened to the 49ers in over a month. Caleb Williams finished with 330 yards passing and two touchdowns. D'Andre Swift scored twice. Unfortunately, most people will be talking about the final play. Faced with two yards to go and four seconds left, the Bears had a chance to win the game. However, it seemed that something had gone wrong.

Williams couldn’t find anybody open and was forced to scramble. His last throw to the end zone fell just short. Johnson spoke with the media after the game and didn’t mince words. It wasn’t that the 49ers’ defense outsmarted them. Johnson didn’t get the play call in fast enough.

“We didn’t quite get aligned in the formation we wanted to. It’s on me. I didn’t give (Caleb Williams) the call fast enough, and so he’s trying to piecemeal it together. I gotta do a better job on that.”

By the time the call was in, most of the play clock had already ticked away. Williams didn’t have time to read the defense and make the necessary adjustments. The quarterback confirmed this in his own presser a few minutes later.

“We ended up getting lined up with not much time (on the play clock). We were slightly lined up wrong. I didn’t have enough time to be able to fix it. … We just had to try to make something out of nothing in that situation. And then we had a shot. With all of that going on, time running down, us misaligning, things like that. We had a shot, and (I’ve) just gotta give my guys a shot in that situation.”

Ben Johnson continues to show maturity and leadership.

The Bears head coach was largely responsible for the team even being competitive in that game. Their defense was run over most of the evening, having no answers for Brock Purdy. Johnson needed to call a great game even to have a shot at winning. He did exactly that. It’s unfortunate that one of his few mistakes happened on the last play of the game. That hasn’t typically been the case most of this year. To his credit, he took full accountability for it. Such is the mark of a good leader.

Don’t expect the Bears to dwell on this game. They had a shot. It didn’t happen this time. That is the NFL. They have to move forward. They have the Detroit Lions next week. A win over them should clinch the #2 seed in the playoffs, which would guarantee at least two home games if they win their wild-card matchup. Not to mention Ben Johnson will have a chance at revenge against his old team after that 52-21 humiliation in September. It was a good learning experience for a young coach.

Everybody knew the Chicago Bears had little hope of stopping the San Francisco 49ers offense. Their defense had been average at best all year. They didn’t have the horses to deal with Kyle Shanahan’s unit. That was proven correct as San Francisco racked up 42 points. However, nobody counted on Caleb Williams stepping to the plate to fight fire with fire. The Bears quarterback put up 330 yards and two touchdowns, coming two yards away from winning the game in the final seconds.

He didn’t do it alone. For the first time this season, the national got a clear look at the Bears’ future. Their 2025 draft class was stellar all night long. Tight end Colston Loveland had 94 yards and a touchdown. Wide receiver Luther Burden had 138 yards and a touchdown. Kyle Monangai had an efficient 38 yards on eight carries, while Ozzy Trapilo helped the offensive line hold the 49ers sackless. It was a glittering showcase for the Bears draft class and put the rest of the NFL on notice.

Caleb Williams is loaded up for the foreseeable future.

Keep in mind, he wasn’t operating with his full arsenal. D.J. Moore was battling the flu. Rome Odunze has been out with a foot injury. The Bears quarterback didn’t have two of his most reliable weapons and still sliced up the 49ers most of that game. It tells you how incredibly gifted Loveland and Burden are. If they’re this good already with so little experience, there is no telling how dangerous this offense can become as they get acclimated to NFL speed and grow comfortable in Ben Johnson’s offense.

This is Goku in his base form. You haven’t even seen Super Saiyan yet (nerd alert!). Jokes aside, Caleb Williams has proven beyond a doubt that he is the franchise guy. He’s now 109 yards away from the single-season Bears passing record and 270 away from being the organization’s first-ever 4,000-yard passer. Considering what he had to overcome to reach this point, it’s an incredible story. Not only is his present a success, but it sure looks like his future is bright.

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The Chicago Bears won the NFC North last night for the first time since 2018. The Backup Bowl between Tyler Huntley and Malik Willis at Lambeau Field last night ended with a Ravens win, clinching the division before Sunday’s action. Remarkable achievement for Ben Johnson and this Bears team in Year 1 of the program.

Two 11-4 teams took the field at the site of this year’s Super Bowl tonight — the Bears and the 49ers. Both teams have navigated immense injuries to make it to the postseason. This game was all about seeding.

In the end, the Bears played an unbelievable game on offense — and a horrific game on defense — to fall just short of yet another comeback thrilling win in Santa Clara.

I shared my in-game reactions, thoughts and observations from the game below. Follow me on X @DhruvKoul to continue the conversation.

Thoughts and Observations

1. (PREGAME) — With the Bears clinching the division by way of the Packers’ loss last night, Chicago guaranteed themselves at least the #3 seed. At least one win or an Eagles loss would give them the #2 seed (and a likely date with Green Bay in the Wild Card round). And two wins (coupled with one Seattle loss) would give them the bye and home-field advantage throughout.

With much of the team battling the flu earlier this week and carrying it into the game, the likeliest scenario is the Bears clinch the #2 seed. For tonight’s game… just get out healthy.

2. Kyle Shanahan is one of the greatest offensive minds of all time — that is known. What’s amazing is how each week he’s able to cook up so much conflict for defenders — especially linebackers. In the first half, he had Tremaine Edmunds and Nahshon Wright completely lost all over the field. The Niners’ rushing offense came to life, and the middle of the field was open all the time.

The worst part was the DL and pass rush were unable to do much of anything to pressure Brock Purdy. It’ll be their downfall this season, no doubt. The good news is the offense is solid at this point so the focus next year in the draft can be on fixing the front-seven.

3. After a slow start on the first two offensive series, Caleb Williams woke up with two beautiful bombs for touchdowns — one to Luther Burden and one to Colston Loveland (on a free play). His deep ball has really improved in the last few weeks and if that continues, that’s a major advantage for the playoffs.

4. 28-21 49ers at halftime is crazy. The Bears opened the game with a pick-six on Purdy, as T.J. Edwards caught a tipped ball on the first play to return it. And after that, the 49ers put up 330 yards of offense and controlled the ball for over 20 minutes in the first half to take the lead. Pretty amazing.

I’m not sure what adjustments Dennis Allen can make when the linebackers (especially Tremaine Edmunds) are LOST, as is some of the secondary (i.e. Nahshon Wright against Ricky Pearsall). But they gotta figure out the middle of the field. You can bet all the playoff teams are watching this.

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5. Bears with a beautiful drive to start the second half. Caleb Williams and Jahdae Walker connected on a clutch 3rd and 14 to keep the drive going and then Luther Burden got them inside the 5-yard line on the next play. A D'Andre Swift TD finished the drive three plays later. A very nice response to answer the 49ers and tie the game.

For me – this game is about watching an offense that can keep up. It’s fun to watch — win or lose.

6. As I watch Shanahan and Purdy continue to bust the Bears’ defense to shreds, I just have to say this — to those who’ve been yelling at Dennis Allen on X:

Allen is tremendous at his job. Unfortunately, Shanahan is one of the greatest of all time. It happens.

7. Despite the broader pass rush issues, Austin Booker really has shown so much important growth this year. He’s produced a few good pass rushes in key spots — most notably a 3rd and 7 near midfield after the Bears tied it at 35. He hit Purdy as the throw was let go and it fell incomplete.

A PUNT!

Booker’s been really good.

8. Bears take the lead 38-35 after a really nice drive by Caleb Williams. Kinda crazy after all that’s transpired.

9. Shanahan and Purdy strike again. An insane levels concept had the Bears bite on the underneath route entirely, and it freed Jauan Jennings on the dig and he took it to the house. 49ers up 42-38 with two minutes left.

Aided on that drive was a terrible penalty by Gervon Dexter that pushed the 49ers forward after a failed play. He’s had quite a few bad penalties this year in key moments. Not an extension candidate, IMO. Unfortunate, because he’s talented. But he just hasn’t played well enough.

Caleb… stage is yours (again!). Can you do it (again)?

10. A final drive of the ages. Insane stuff from Caleb and the rookies — Burden and Loveland. Cinema stuff. Unfortunately, Caleb’s heroic effort fell just short of Jahdae Walker in the end zone and the Bears fell to the Niners. 42-38. Just an all-time game.

The hook-and-ladder on the play before the final shot from the 4-yard line took a little too much time, but it was a nice idea. Really fun stuff from the QB. The Bears have a real one.

11. Bears close out the regular season next Sunday by hosting the Detroit Lions (Ben Johnson’s old team, if you didn’t know!). Get out healthy and prepare for Week 1. That’s all that matters now.

Early prediction: Bears 27, Lions 24.

The Chicago Bears have become victims of a serious locker room problem. It appears a case of the flu has struck Halas Hall, and guys are falling to it left and right. Four players showed up on the injury report with the “illness” designation during the week. That number has grown in the past 24 hours. It started with right tackle Darnell Wright, who was added to the report and didn’t travel with the team on Saturday. The following morning, wide receivers D.J. Moore and Olamide Zaccheaus joined the report with the same issue. All three are questionable. While that isn’t great news for the Bears offense, one person should be thrilled. That is Jahdae Walker.

It has been a wild past week for the undrafted rookie from Texas A&M. He hadn’t seen the field all season. However, injuries to Rome Odunze and Luther Burden opened the door for him to get some action against Green Bay. Sure enough, on the pivotal play of the game, he caught the tying touchdown in the 4th quarter on 4th down to force overtime. Nobody saw it coming. It was validation for the excellent training camp and preseason Walker had. Now, another health setback for the Bears could get him even more opportunities.

Jahdae Walker is prepared for this moment.

He was an afterthought for many coming into this season. The skinny 6’4 kid wasn’t even the best receiver on his own college team. He wasn’t even the second-best last year for the Aggies. It wasn’t a surprise that he went undrafted. Still, he demonstrated during the pre-draft process that he was a capable athlete with a large frame, strong hands, and competent route-running skills. Perhaps he could develop into something more under the right coaching. That is why the Bears and head coach Ben Johnson took a chance on him.

Given the recent signs, he is ready for more playing time. The moment wasn’t too big for him against Green Bay. He clearly has the trust of quarterback Caleb Williams, who has been working with him privately for weeks. San Francisco has the 24th-ranked pass defense in the NFL. There is no reason to think Jahdae Walker can’t make a big contribution in this game. It’s not like he has anything to lose. The Bears have a chance to further one of the cooler stories of the year.

The Chicago Bears are NFC North champions. Despite starting 0-2, with both losses coming against divisional foes, the team somehow reeled off 11 of its next 13 games to make the playoffs. With the Green Bay Packers’ loss on Saturday night to the Baltimore Ravens, the divisional crown belongs to Chicago for the first time since 2018. So much of the credit for this goes to head coach Ben Johnson and the work he’s done developing Caleb Williams, not to mention motivating what had been a fractured and dispirited locker room. However, former Super Bowl champion head coach Jon Gruden believes it goes beyond that.

He spoke with Ryen Russillo about it recently. Not enough people are discussing the job done this past offseason to upgrade the roster. They added three major additions to the offensive line in Joe Thuney, Drew Dalman, and Jonah Jackson. Thuney and Dalman just made the Pro Bowl. Rookie 2nd round pick Ozzy Trapilo has developed into a solid left tackle. Then you have D.J. Moore, Luther Burden, and Colston Loveland all becoming big playmakers for the team.

All of it comes across as a major validation for the work done by GM Ryan Poles.

Jon Gruden finally gave Ryan Poles some credit.

Yes, the Bears’ general manager has been under fire in recent months. Much of it was earned. Many felt he kept Matt Eberflus way longer than he should’ve, which contributed to the 2024 catastrophe. Beyond that, you have several highly questionable decisions like Chase Claypool, Nate Davis, and, most recently, Dayo Odeyingbo. Make no mistake. Poles should not be immune to criticism. Yet we should know by now that you can’t define a GM just by his biggest misfires. You must consider the entire picture.

Jon Gruden isn’t colored by any Bears loyalty. He sees everything, and the truth is, Poles has done a lot more good than bad this year to put his team in a position to succeed. Chicago doesn’t turn the season around without running backs D'Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai. Both Poles additions. They don’t survive several close games without timely special teams magic from Josh Blackwell—a Poles waiver wire pickup. You have Loveland’s touchdown against Cincinnati. Moore caught the season-defining TD against Green Bay.

None of that would have been possible without Poles. You don’t have to worship him, but at least appreciate the work he’s done.