The Chicago Bears‘ offense was stuck in the mud the entire first half as the Green Bay Packers took full control, 14-3. It felt like another classic showdown between the two teams. One was a well-oiled machine, while the other couldn’t seem to start. Then something changed in the second half. Ben Johnson made some adjustments that began taking advantage of Green Bay’s defensive weaknesses. Caleb Williams made some excellent throws, and the Bears clawed their way back to a 21-21 tie in the 4th quarter.

Unfortunately, a missed opportunity on defense allowed the Packers to regain the lead. The Bears had a chance to tie it, but their final throw was intercepted. The story coming out of the game was Williams’ resilient performance and Chicago’s frustrating defensive miscues. However, people didn’t seem to grasp another big development during the rally that went somewhat unnoticed.

Much of the Bears’ success stemmed from a concerted effort to get rookie wide receiver Luther Burden the ball more often. It worked. The 2nd round pick was targeted three times in the second half. He caught all three for 55 yards. Two of them were crucial to ten points the Bears scored. The third kick-started the final drive that got them in position to tie it.

The Chicago Bears learn more each week about how good Burden is.

With his performance on Sunday, he is now seventh among all rookies in the NFL in receiving yards and third among wide receivers. Keep in mind he’s doing that despite getting the sixth-most targets on his own team. Tetairoa McMillan (98) and Emeka Egbuka (110), who are ahead of him, more than double his target share (40). If he got the same number of opportunities as Egbuka, based on his production to date, he’d have 1,086 yards. That is with another four games to play.

There is no longer any question that Burden is a core part of the Chicago Bears’ future. He can play. The team knew they were taking a risk on him, given the maturity concerns from his time in Missouri. Head coach Ben Johnson felt his talent was worth the gamble. All signs point to that being an excellent decision. Sooner or later, the Bears will finally make Burden a central part of their passing attack. One could argue they should’ve already done that, but it wasn’t easy with Rome Odunze and D.J. Moore already in place.

Now that one is hurt and the other has somewhat regressed, it feels like the perfect time to take the training wheels off.

The Chicago Bears extended Kyler Gordon for obvious reasons. He is an immensely talented football player, one of the better nickel cornerbacks in the league. His versatility is hard to replicate, which is why coaches love him. Unfortunately, the former 2nd round pick is fast developing a reputation no player wants to have: injury-prone. This season has reinforced that label more than ever. Since week two of the season, Gordon has missed eight games with various injuries. All were of the soft tissue variety. First, it was a groin problem, then a hamstring issue, and finally a calf injury.

Last week, against the Philadelphia Eagles, was his first game back in over a month. The timing felt good. Perhaps they’d have him just in time for the stretch run. Then, as has become too familiar, the Bears were hit with bad news. Gordon reportedly suffered another groin injury during pre-game warmups against the Green Bay Packers. He was forced to sit out the game, leaving his status moving forward in question. It would be one thing if this were one injury. Instead, it’s been several, and this isn’t an isolated incident.

Kyler Gordon is becoming unreliable.

GM Ryan Poles mentioned a popular NFL saying. “The best ability is availability.” If you can find a way to suit up on a semi-regular basis for your team, the organization is obligated to find somebody who will. Kyler Gordon wasn’t hit with a streak of bad luck. This problem has persisted since the Bears drafted him. He missed three games in 2022, four games in 2023, and two games in 2024. The guy can’t stay healthy. As good as he can be when playing, Chicago is paying him way too much money to keep holding that spot open for him.

So what do they do? Cutting him next year is not possible. The only way they could unload him is with a post-June 1st trade. Truth be told, the Bears likely won’t do that. They are likely sticking with him for another year. That being said, don’t be surprised if they invest in some added cornerback help, looking to create some competition and depth. The times of trusting him to stay on the field are over.

Losing in Green Bay is something the Chicago Bears have become familiar with over the years. That made Sunday’s 28-21 result difficult to stomach. Once again, the Packers made just enough plays to emerge victorious while the Bears lamented missed opportunities. Even so, there were signs in this game that indicated these weren’t the same old Bears. Green Bay did what they usually do, riding a fast start in the first half to build a 14-3 lead going into the 2nd quarter.

It looked like another blowout was forming. Then Chicago buckled down and battled back. Caleb Williams made some excellent throws to cut the lead to 14-11. After the Packers scored again, he led a field goal drive to make it 21-14. Things looked like they were shifting in the Bears’ favor as they marched 83 yards on 17 plays to tie the game 21-21.

Sadly, this game came down to two plays. One was allowing a 21-yard Josh Jacobs run on 3rd and 2, enabling the Packers to score shortly after. The other was Williams’ interception on the final play, when he underthrew it to Cole Kmet when it looked like he had D.J. Moore wide open underneath.

The Chicago Bears didn’t back down.

While that might feel like a small consolation prize, it is still worth noting. Chicago Bears teams in past years would’ve rolled over after the start they had. Green Bay would’ve calmly built a three-score lead and cruised the rest of the way. Not this time. Their young quarterback endured the hostile atmosphere, made some plays, and got them back into the game. The chance to win was there. It wasn’t a fleeting glimpse. They had it in their hands. Two unfortunate mental lapses shut the door before they could walk through.

This isn’t the sort of loss that should impact the season in any way. The Bears are still 9-4 and have a very winnable game next week against the Cleveland Browns. They lost on the road to one of the best teams in the NFC. There is no point losing sleep over that. This team hung tough. That is a surefire sign they’re heading in the right direction. The trick moving forward is learning how to start faster, which has been a persistent issue for them. Once that happens, the Bears will be the real deal.

GREEN BAY, Wis. — “And to be quite frank with you, I kind of enjoyed beating Matt LaFleur twice a year.”

Those were Ben Johnson’s words at his introductory press conference as the Chicago Bears‘ head coach back in January. At the time, it seemed like another artificial attempt at pumping some juice in a long-dormant rivalry. Because let’s be real — as much as the fans hate each other, the results had long been one-sided.

Today’s game was the latest in a regular season that both teams were actually playing for something since the 2013 season finale. Since then, they’ve had games that mattered “at the time” (season openers in 2018, 2019, and 2023 come to mind), but the Bears’ seasons would end some time before Halloween. Today was real.

And with two games in 14 days, the direction of the NFC North — and potentially the conference — could possibly be determined by these outcomes.

This one was at Lambeau – where the Bears walked off the Packers to close the 2024 regular season. Could they make it two wins in Green Bay in a calendar year?

The Bears got their heads caved in the first half — falling behind to a 14-3 deficit (which looked worse than the score). But then they picked things up and gave their all in the second half, losing on the final play on a tough 4th down pass from Caleb Williams that was picked off.

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

1a. (PREGAME) — Kyler Gordon got injured pregame in warmups (groin) and was ruled out. Just about the worst news before kickoff that you could imagine. Bears really have to figure something out here with Gordon, because they paid him, and he’s barely stayed on the field. The fear is it’s another multi-week injury now at the worst possible time.

1b. A very sloppy start to this game for the Bears. A penalty wiped out a first down scramble on the first drive which resulted in a punt.

The Bears were fairly fortunate to not give up points on a methodical Packers drive — thankfully Montez Sweat fought through for a sack near midfield and then C.J. Gardner-Johnson picked off Jordan Love on a deep dig on 3rd and 17.

With the Bears starting at the +36, they ended up punting, thanks to a drop by Colston Loveland that started the drive.

In a game like this, you want to see a better handle from the entire team. They’re not in rhythm and are fortunate to be in a scoreless tie after two drives each.

2. Not much to say so far other than the Bears have gotten whipped on both sides of the ball in the trenches. The Packers’ run game is succeeding with ease, and they’re getting very little pressure on Jordan Love. In fact, they sent the house on a 3rd and 10 and nobody came within three yards of Love before a lofted a TD to Christian Watson. Really nice design by Matt LaFleur to call a bender and get Watson on Kevin Byard.

On offense, the Bears’ OL hasn’t been able to handle the Packers’ rush packages and have consistently been whipped in the run game as well. Getting out-physicaled is the anti-Ben Johnson Bears. But so far at Lambeau, the Packers have been much better.

3. At the 2-minute warning, here is my summation of what I want to see from this team tonight:

4. Sheesh, the Jordan Love to Bo Melton deep touchdown before halftime was a dagger. Another situation where the safety (Brisker) was lost as part of a Dime look and the Packers got a big chunk for a score. Bears have a lot of work to do on defense next year, but also, they’re just down so many key players. Consider:

5. Halftime thought:

<HALFTIME>

6. The Bears’ defense got a nice three and out to open the half, with the Packers committing OPI on third down that would’ve resulted in yet another Nahshon Wright INT. Bears took over in decent field position.

And Caleb Williams led a masterful drive – highlighted by a nice third down conversion to Colston Loveland, a total beauty up the sideline to Cole Kmet, and a missile shot to the end zone corner to Olamide Zaccheaus to make it 14-11 after a 2-point try.

The Bears’ OL physicality was back on that drive and they allowed plays to materialize well.

7. Dennis Allen tried again to blitz Jordan Love on a third down. It did not go well. A beautiful call by Matt LaFleur to run a slant to Watson against CJGJ resulted in a LONG touchdown scamper. A brutal result after the offense had snatched some momentum back. LaFleur is one of the best in the game.

It’s unbelievable to me that Packers fans wanted him fired earlier in the season. Madness.

Offense’s turn to respond again.

8. I’m not sure what Ben Johnson said to these guys at halftime, but my goodness, what a turnaround. The OL established their physicality again and absolutely obliterated the Packers’ front after the Bears took over at their own 17. A 17-play, 83-yard drive resulted in a beauty of a play fake to Colston Loveland from the 1-yard line for a touchdown to tie the game 21-21.

Just an exquisite mix of runs, action, boots, trickery and good old-fashioned big boy football from the OL and RBs turned in that drive. In a “gotta have it” moment, the offense delivered. Beautiful.

9. Brutal response from the Bears’ defense. Two plays had the Packers to the Bears’ 36 yard line. And on 3rd and 2, Montez Sweat and a couple others had Josh Jacobs stopped in the backfield… until he pushed past them and rumbled 21 yards to make it “goal to go.”

An opportunity to keep it at a FG — gone by the wayside. A touchdown put the Packers up 28-21 with 3:32 to go. Does the offense have one more response in them?

10. Goodness gracious… Caleb ripped two beautiful throws (to Burden and Duvernay) to get the Bears to the Packers’ 23 at the 2 minute warning.

Chicago ran it three straight times — the third one hitting a wall to make it 4th and 1. And on 4th and 1, the Bears ran the same play they hit to Kmet last week — and it was open. But Caleb was late and underthrew it, and Nixon picked it off.

Ballgame.

Brutal way to lose, but such a good game, all things considered.

11. The Bears’ needs on defense are certainly clear, but they just need their players to come back healthy, too. Undermanned all game, they just didn’t have the horses to compete with the Packers’ fantastic offense.

The offense has plenty of work to do too, but we got a taste of what it can be when it’s firing on all cylinders in the second half. That was a lot of fun.

12. All things considered, the Bears woke up after an awful first half and played quite well — especially on offense — in the second half to certainly put a scare in the Green Bay faithful for a bit. Take that momentum and handle business next week against Cleveland. And then get ready for Round 2.

Early prediction: Bears 24, Browns 21.

By common NFL standards, Caleb Williams is having a solid season. Aside from his below-average completion percentage (58.1%), he’s amassed 3,211 total yards, 21 touchdowns, and just five interceptions. He also has five 4th quarter comebacks, which have proven critical to the Chicago Bears‘ 9-3 record. Yes, it’s not a superstar year in league circles, but for a Bears quarterback, this is unquestionably one of the best in franchise history. That might not mean much to people outside the city, but it feels like a legitimate step in the right direction after so many years of dumpster-level play from that position.

Most prominent names have said they like what Williams has done. They feel he’s learning the position at a rapid rate compared to last year. He seems so close to a breakthrough. However, there is one holdout who isn’t impressed.

Caleb Williams himself.

The Bears quarterback was asked by Kyle Brandt on NFL Gameday how he thinks he’s been playing this season. Williams didn’t try to dance around it. While he believes he’s handled the details of the position a lot better this year compared to 2024, the numbers don’t reflect someone who has arrived. He still has a long way to go.

Caleb Williams is at a common crossroads for young quarterbacks.

Mobile players like him often struggle transitioning from someone who uses his feet as a constant part of the offense to somebody who plays from the pocket who only runs when the situation requires it. That isn’t easy for Caleb Williams. His greatness in college was defined by his ability to create otherworldly plays with his feet. The problem is that style of play doesn’t work in the NFL. Defenses are too smart and too fast. Head coach Ben Johnson knew this. That is why his entire goal was to teach Williams how to play the position as a professional.

It came down to whether the young quarterback was prepared to accept the changes. Many guys never truly move away from the style that got them to the NFL. They always retreat to their old ways when things don’t go well. To Williams’ credit, he has made a determined effort to stay in the pocket and trust the offense. His progress has been clear for weeks. The numbers haven’t caught up yet, but that feels like only a matter of time. Until then, he seems to be in the right headspace.

Ryan Poles got crushed by a lot of people for the Chicago Bears‘ 2025 draft class through the first month of the season. Guys weren’t making notable contributions and some wondered if the GM had just thrown away a golden opportunity to push this team into viable playoff contention. A couple of months later and the script has completely flipped. Colston Loveland has a case for being the best tight end in the class. Luther Burden is ninth among all rookies in receiving. Ozzy Trapillo has taken over at left tackle. All three were pivotal to the Bears’ big upset of the Philadelphia Eagles on Black Friday.

However, none of them were Poles’ best pick. Experts are reaching a consensus that such a label belongs to Kyle Monangai. Nobody reacted much when the Bears scooped up the running back from Rutgers in the 7th round. People inside Halas Hall felt differently. Despite his limited athletic ceiling, he possessed certain traits that made him a highly productive player, traits that could translate to the NFL. Now he’s fourth among rookies in rushing behind only two 2nd round picks and a 1st round round pick. All have more carries than he does.

The case in Ryan Poles’ favor is an easy one to make.

True steals are often categorized as players who were selected late in the draft. We’ll say between the 5th and 7th rounds. If you look at the statistical results so far this season, there isn’t anybody who eclipses Monangai in productivity. Fifth round tight end Oronde Gadsden II has 534 yards and two touchdowns for the Los Angeles Chargers. Their 6th round pick, safety R.J. Mickens, also has two interceptions. The only player who is even a challenge to Monangai is fellow 7th round running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt with the Washington Commanders.

Unfortunately for him, Monangai has more rushing yards, touchdowns, and receiving yards than he does. Not to mention, his team is getting more meaningful success from his contributions. There is no getting around the truth. Ryan Poles scored a major victory for the Bears with that Monangai pick. While his ceiling remains somewhat modest, there is no question that he should be a quality piece in this offense for at least the next couple of years. Getting that from a 7th round pick is no small thing.

The Chicago Bears have a long history of failing to strike at the right time or make the right choice when hiring their next head coach. They made a change in 1999, the same year Andy Reid went to Philadelphia and one year before Bill Belichick took over in New England. In 2013, they chose Marc Trestman over Bruce Arians. Four years later, they chose to keep John Fox rather than pursue Kyle Shanahan or Sean McVay. Finally, in 2022, they didn’t even bother meeting with Kevin O’Connell. That is why the team’s ability to lure Ben Johnson to Chicago this past January feels increasingly like a miracle.

Everybody knew the Detroit Lions’ offensive coordinator was the hottest coaching candidate on the market and considered one of the best of the past few years. His offensive aptitude was well known, but many felt he had the intensity and detailed approach that good head coaches need. That has since been proven true as the Bears sit at 9-3 with a chance to seize full control of the division in Green Bay on Sunday.

If you aren’t quite sold on how lucky this team was to land the 38-year-old, just look at the list of “hottest” candidates for 2026 according to Dianna Russini of The Athletic.

There isn’t anything close to a Ben Johnson next year.

That list doesn’t exactly inspire confidence for any team hoping to find its franchise savior. Let’s run through some of the names just to illustrate why.

• Matt Nagy – former Bears head coach who regressed after a fast start in 2018 and isn’t a great play caller.
• Robert Saleh – former Jets head coach who never had a winning season
• Vance Joseph – former Broncos head coach who was fired after two years
• Anthony Weaver – defensive coordinator whose unit has regressed significantly from last season
• Jeff Hafley – good defensive coordinator who flopped as a head coach in college
• Joe Brady – a young offensive mind who one could argue has been carried by great QBs

Not an inspiring list to say the least. It’s either filled with former head coaches who flopped at their first job or coordinators with inconsistent track records. The most intriguing might be Chris Shula since he’s running a terrific defense in Los Angeles and comes from the McVay tree, which has produced excellent coaches in the past. Still, none of these guys come anywhere close to the pedigree Ben Johnson had during his ascent in Detroit over the past few years.

Nobody wants to imagine what it might be like for the Bears right now if they were heading into next spring needing a coach. It would be equal parts terrifying and a little depressing. That is why fans should take a moment to thank their lucky stars that the organization had the good sense to do the obvious thing for once and chase the best candidate.