One would think Ben Johnson would be thrilled with the state of things. The Chicago Bears started the season 0-2. Since then, they’ve won four games in a row. They are suddenly in second place in the NFC North and have defeated two potential roadblocks (Dallas and Washington) in the NFC wild card picture. It is hard not to feel good about that. Yet from the look on Johnson’s face at his post-game presser, you’d think somebody insulted his mother. That is because the win over the New Orleans Saints, while the outcome he wanted, didn’t go he way he’d hoped.
Chicago led the game 20-0 at one point. They were in full control and threatening to blow it wide open. Then things got a little hectic. The Saints closed the gap, teasing a comeback. Thankfully, the defense shut the door and the running game plowed ahead for 222 yards. However, Johnson wasn’t happy. The passing game missed too many opportunities and never got on track. He didn’t hold back in his comments about quarterback Caleb Williams after the game. Win or not, improvement is needed.
Ben Johnson continues to maintain a clear perspective.
It can be so easy to get lost in the euphoria of the moment. This team was dead in water last month. That crushing loss in Detroit felt like a killing blow. Instead, Ben Johnson used it as fuel to engineer one of the wildest in-season turnarounds in recent Bears history. Williams has been a big part of that with those performances against Dallas and Las Vegas. However, that doesn’t mean he has suddenly arrived. Johnson isn’t naive. His young quarterback still has so much work to do. This is a coach who watched Matthew Stafford and Jared Goff operate at their peaks. Williams isn’t near that territory yet.
Saying those words was the right thing to do. Win or not, players shouldn’t be praise if they didn’t perform up to the team’s standard. If Williams had played better, the game would’ve been a blowout. Johnson continues to show he isn’t lowering the bar for anybody. Don’t execute at the proper level? Expect to hear about it after the game.
Oct 19, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears running back D'Andre Swift (4) reacts after rushing for a touchdown against the New Orleans Saints during the second quarter at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Mike Dinovo-Imagn Images
The Chicago Bears didn’t just beat the Saints on Sunday — they bullied them. A 26-14 win that looked closer on paper than it ever felt in real time. From the opening drive, the Bears dictated every inch of the game. They punched New Orleans in the mouth, ran them over for 222 rushing yards, and made Spencer Rattler look like a rookie (even thought he’s not) thrown into a cage with wolves. Soldier Field was rocking, and for once, this team looked like it had a damn identity.
Let’s break down the five biggest winners from a game that announced — loud and clear — that the Bears are done being a punchline.
1. D’Andre Swift
D’Andre Swift has officially taken over the Bears’ offense. The man’s running like he’s got a vendetta against anyone who doubted him. Against the Saints, he racked up 124 yards on 19 carries (6.5 YPC) and added another 14 through the air. That’s 138 total yards from scrimmage — and every single one of them felt earned.
Here’s the kicker: Swift did it all while playing through a groin injury. Most guys in that situation play hesitant. Not Swift. He kept hitting the hole hard, staying patient, and churning out consistent 6- to 7-yard gains. No fluky 60-yard run padding the stats — just pure, efficient, downhill violence.
Swift averaged 2.3 yards before contact — 12th best among backs this week — which tells you he wasn’t relying on perfect blocking. He’s seeing the field better than ever, and when the Bears’ line ranks #1 in the NFL in Run Block Win Rate, that combo is lethal.
His 11-yard touchdown in the second quarter put Chicago up 13-0 and effectively ended any delusions the Saints had of competing. Three rushing TDs on the year, back-to-back 100-yard games, and a clear message: this is D’Andre Swift’s offense now.
At 32 years old, Kevin Byard is playing like he found the cheat code to reverse time. He picked off his fourth pass of the season Sunday, tying him for the NFL lead with Devin Lloyd. But it wasn’t just the interception — it was the timing of it. The Saints were clawing back, down 20-7, trying to make something happen. Byard said, “Nah,” and snatched Rattler’s soul right out of the air.
Rattler tried to extend a play and go deep to Rashid Shaheed. Byard read it like a bedtime story, tracked the ball, and got both feet down before anyone knew what happened. Cold. Blooded.
Byard’s now the first Bear with four picks through six games since Tim Jennings in 2012. He also helped extend the Bears’ streak of three-plus takeaways in four straight games, a mark no other defense in football can claim. And get this — Chicago leads the league in turnover margin (+11) with just six games played.
Byard isn’t just intercepting passes — he’s setting the tone for a defense that’s hunting again. He’s the old head every young secondary dreams of: smart, loud, and always in the right damn place.
Seventh-round rookie Kyle Monangai might’ve just gone from “roster depth” to “real threat.” He had 13 carries for 81 yards and his first career touchdown, doubling his season total in one game. The Rutgers kid ran with purpose, confidence, and zero hesitation.
That 24-yard scamper in the second quarter? Straight-up art. North-south explosion, decisive cuts, and balance through contact. And when he plunged in from one yard out to make it 20-0, you could feel the energy shift — the Bears weren’t just winning, they were imposing their will.
Monangai averaged 6.2 yards per carry — nearly identical to Swift — and the two backs combined for 205 yards and two scores. That’s a Detroit-style thunder-and-lightning combo Ben Johnson knows how to weaponize. The rookie didn’t just look capable; he looked trusted. Those 13 carries weren’t garbage time — they were real, drive-sustaining touches.
Chicago might have finally found its long-term RB duo.
If you blinked, you might’ve missed Montez Sweat wrecking the Saints’ game plan. From the jump, he was everywhere — four tackles, two for loss, one sack, and a forced fumble that set the tone for the entire afternoon.
On the Saints’ second offensive play, Sweat hunted down Rattler, stripped him, and Gervon Dexter pounced on it. Boom. Field goal. 3-0 Bears. From that point forward, Chicago’s defense was in full predator mode.
Sweat’s impact went beyond the stat sheet. He was consistently blowing up run plays, setting the edge, and forcing Rattler into bad decisions. That fourth-down stop sequence in the second quarter — where Sweat and Tremaine Edmunds stuffed Kamara twice — was pure dominance.
Chicago notched four sacks total, their season high, and held Rattler to 1-for-5 passing with four sacks and a pick under pressure. That’s called ruining a game plan. Sweat may not have gaudy sack numbers, but he’s collapsing pockets and dictating protections every single week.
This was the game where Montez Sweat looked like the alpha rusher Chicago paid for.
5. The Offensive Line
You can’t run for 222 yards without the big boys up front eating. And make no mistake: this offensive line feasted.
Jonah Jackson and Joe Thuney were bulldozers inside, Darnell Wright was rag-dolling edge rushers (even if he did get flagged again), and Drew Dalman rebounded from some sketchy snaps to absolutely dominate in run blocking. The Bears are now officially the best run-blocking team in football per ESPN’s Win Rate metric.
The line’s performance didn’t just open lanes — it defined the game. Chicago controlled the clock (36:19 to 23:41), bullied the Saints’ front seven, and gave Swift and Monangai all the daylight they needed. Pass protection? Still a work in progress. Caleb Williams got rattled more than you’d like. But in terms of setting the tone physically, this group did their job and then some.
Ben Johnson’s system thrives when the line can move bodies, and Sunday was a masterclass in trench warfare.
Honorable Mentions
Tremaine Edmunds: 9 tackles, 1 sack, 1 interception — the dude’s putting together a Pro Bowl campaign quietly but efficiently. He’s the glue holding the middle together.
Nahshon Wright: Another week, another pick. His 38-yard return swung field position and showed that Chicago’s DB depth is legit.
Jake Moody: 4-of-4 on field goals, cool as ice. He’s made 8 of 9 since stepping in for Santos. If the kicking game’s solid in Chicago, you know things are changing.
Final Verdict
Yeah, it’s time to say it: the Bears are good. Not “good for the Bears,” not “a fun story” — good, period.
They’ve won four straight for the first time since 2018, sit at 4-2, and have found a formula that actually travels: run the damn ball, take the ball away, and hit the quarterback. Caleb Williams doesn’t need to be Superman when the defense is generating four turnovers a game and the ground game’s chewing up 200+ yards.
Ben Johnson’s offense is evolving, the defense looks violent again, and the locker room actually believes. As they head to Baltimore next week, this win over the Saints feels like more than another tally in the win column — it feels like a declaration.
The Monsters of the Midway are back, and they’re starting to look hungry.
Oct 19, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) throws a pass under pressure from New Orleans Saints defensive tackle Nathan Shepherd (93) during the second quarter at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Mike Dinovo-Imagn Images
Caleb Williams didn’t play well on Sunday against the New Orleans Saints. He’d be the first to tell you as much. He finished with just 176 yards passing and an interception. It marked his first truly bad performance of the season. Thankfully, it didn’t end up mattering as the Chicago Bears cruised to a 26-14 victory. Whie fans were elated about the four-game win streak, many couldn’t get over the fact that Williams seemed to regress. People are starting to wonder if he’s returning to bad habits. Olin Kreutz had some thoughts about that.
The six-time Pro Bowl center didn’t argue that Williams had some rough moments in the game, but he also provided some context on 670 The Score. Much of what happened Sunday came from how the Saints deployed on defense. It was evident that defensive coordinator Brandon Staley geared his entire game plan around stopping the Bears’ passing attack. They were in nickel almost all day and almost never loaded the box. It worked. Williams never really got into a rhythm.
However, that approach came at a cost. It enabled the Bears’ ground game to rack up 222 yards.
Olin Kreutz understands context is crucial with Caleb Williams.
It would’ve been one thing if the young quarterback had opportunities everywhere and just kept missing them. Sure, there were such moments, but it’s not like Caleb Williams was blind. He saw the chances. He just didn’t hit them. Games like this happen from time to time, especially for young quarterbacks in a new offense. The fact that New Orleans built their entire game plan around stopping him was a sign of clear respect. Staley is a good defensive coordinator. Previous weeks saw the Saints focus on stopping the run and opposing QBs were more efficient. This time he tried flipping the script to see if that might work.
While the approach succeeded in frustrating Williams, it didn’t matter. Ben Johnson took full advantage of the light boxes to gouge New Orleans on the ground. Lastly, one should remember Jared Goff wasn’t a model of efficiency during his first year in this offense in 2022. His sixth game that season saw him throw two ugly interceptions and score only six points. He was a seven-year veteran at that point. Olin Kreutz is right. Keep things in perspective with Williams.
Oct 12, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan looks on during the first half against the Milwaukee Bucks at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images
The national media annually releases each team’s preseason odds, predictions, and betting lines. In Chicago’s case, they’ve finished nearly identically in record and standings each of the last three campaigns and ended with an NBA Play-In Tournament defeat in their efforts to clinch a playoff spot. Headed into the 2025-26 year, this roster will feature the first full season without Zach LaVine, who was the face of the franchise since 2017. How do the masses expect the new, young core to end up, and do they have any shot at the postseason with the new-look roster?
Expected To Land In The Lottery
Sportsbooks have agreed that the Chicago Bulls will fall short of their last three seasons’ production of 39 wins per year and a Play-In Tournament berth. The current line has the team landing between 31 and 33 wins, representing their worst season since the 2020-21 campaign, when they went 31-41. That year, they landed the eighth overall pick in the upcoming draft. Unfortunately, that selection was previously traded to the Orlando Magic as part of the Nikola Vucevic mega-deal earlier that season. They would draft Franz Wagner, an NBA First-Team All-Rookie member and mainstay starter in Orlando.
The #NBA season is tipping off next week. So, the projected win total for the #Bulls is set at 32.5. Over? Under? @KCJHoop joined us to preview the upcoming season.
Suppose Chicago were to end the season in the lottery as anticipated. Would Arturas Karnisovas deserve another swing at a top-end draft selection, or would the franchise start a new regime with a top-ten pick?
NBA Cup, Finals, and First Overall Pick Odds
Buckle up, Chicago fans. This will be a year of taking lumps. With one of the youngest rosters leaguewide, which will get even younger when Vucevic is traded or cut midway through the season, the main objectives will be trimming any assets that won’t contribute for several years ahead and testing the young core to take giant leaps. They currently have the eighth-longest odds in the NBA to win the midseason NBA Cup, and tied for the second-longest odds to win the NBA Finals. Making the playoffs is a long shot, with the consensus giving an 18% chance to be in the eight-team postseason field.
— Die-Hard Chicago Bulls Fans (@DieHardCBfans) October 8, 2025
The better news for Chicagoans is their chances at the top pick in the 2026 draft. They’re slated to have one of the worst records in the league, and they hold a 9% chance at the number one selection before the regular season tips off. They also have a 37.2% chance of landing in the top four, allowing them to select a franchise-altering talent.
The most exciting aspect, all odds aside, is that this year brings the most uncertainty and potential variance in nearly a decade for a Bulls team desperate for a definitive commitment to changing the organization’s direction.
Oct 19, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) throws a pass against New Orleans Saints cornerback Alontae Taylor (1) during the first half at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images
The Chicago Bears took care of business on Sunday. They faced a 1-5 New Orleans Saints team, which invited belief that it would be a cakewalk. However, they knew the record was misleading. The Saints had played almost every opponent on their schedule tough. It was much the same on Sunday. Chicago never quite blew the game open, but they got the job done 26-14. The story of the game was a stellar defensive performance with four takeaways and 222 yards from the ground game. However, there was a sour aftertaste due to Caleb Williams.
He didn’t have a good afternoon, throwing for just 176 yards and an interception. New Orleans seemed to make him uncomfortable at times with their pass rush, and Williams didn’t help matters with his unnecessarily aggressive approach. Too often, it felt like he was constantly looking for the kill shot. That isn’t a great strategy for a quarterback, even against bad teams. After the game, Williams didn’t hide from what happened. He took full ownership, stating he did not take full advantage of the opportunities the defense gave him.
That will not continue moving forward.
"I am going to figure this out, especially with some of the explosive plays."
Up until Sunday, he’s played pretty well all season. His efficiency still needs to improve. Too many incompletions and missed opportunities. Still, his accountability is refreshing. It is important to keep things in context. This was just the sixth game in a new offense. Jared Goff wasn’t lighting up the scoreboard in his first couple of months under Ben Johnson in 2022. His sixth game saw him throw two interceptions and only put up six points. Things didn’t really start clicking for him until late November, and he was a seventh-year veteran by then.
Asking Caleb Williams to execute at a high level so soon is a little unfair. Yes, he needs to be better. He clearly knows that. The good thing is the Bears won anyway. They ran the ball well and played great defense. It’s not like Williams hasn’t contributed. They don’t beat Dallas or Las Vegas without him. This isn’t a case of a quarterback being carried by his team.
Let things play out. He’s done enough to earn that right.
Most people focus on the stat sheet for determining if a player is good or not. That is fine. It is the nature of sports. Big numbers usually mean big impact. However, it doesn’t always tell the whole story. Colston Loveland hasn’t put up big numbers this year. He’s been hamstrung by a combination of an injury setback and a lack of consistent targets in the passing game. As a result, Chicago Bears fans have been grumbling that the team may have made a bad pick, even if judging a player after six games is hardly fair.
That said, a closer inspection might reveal something else. While Loveland might not be putting up stats, his impact is still being felt in two ways: situational catches and run blocking. The first instance came last week in Washington when the rookie made a clutch six-yard catch on 3rd down to keep the Bears’ game-winning drive alive.
On Sunday against the New Orleans Saints, Loveland reminded everybody that he is far more than just an athletic pass-catcher. He delivered some outstanding blocks for a running game that piled up 222 yards.
Just for good measure, the rookie popped up again when the Bears needed a conversion. Facing 4th and 3, a first down would end the game, allowing Chicago to run out the clock. Rather than go to favorite target Rome Odunze, Williams looked for Loveland, who delivered again.
Colston Loveland may now have the window he’s waited for.
Cole Kmet, who has been the primary starter at tight end since the season began, left the game against New Orleans with a back injury. If it’s any degree of serious, he will likely miss time. That means Colston Loveland will become a much bigger factor in the game plans moving forward. He’s caught eight of the 13 passes thrown his way this season, so he’s been good about making the most of his opportunities. It feels like only a matter of time before Ben Johnson builds a plan around feeding him the ball.
Anybody who watched the rookie on tape can see he’s open a lot. Not having him be the first read is limiting the chances to exploit this. Loveland isn’t complaining. He is finding ways to contribute, as any good player would. The Bears seem ready to increase his workload in the near future.
Three Sundays ago, the Chicago Bears got outplayed by the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium — and won on a blocked field goal.
Last Monday night, the Chicago Bears outplayed the Washington Commanders at Northwest Stadium — and won on a made field goal as time expired.
Coming into today, your Bears: a three-game winning streak. It happened.
Now, today’s matchup was against the “lowly” New Orleans Saints. A 1-5 team who is trying to figure out if they need to use their incoming top-5 pick on a quarterback. Spencer Rattler — the guy Caleb Williams replaced at Oklahoma to kickstart his journey as a top NFL pick — had been playing good football for the Saints. They’d been a feisty team coming in. I said this on October 5 – two weeks ago.
Been fairly impressed with Spencer Rattler this season. Playing well and very differently than I expected.
It wasn’t going to be an easy game — not that the Bears are good enough yet to overlook anyone. Chicago had an opportunity to go on a real run with some weakened opponents coming up. They needed this one against an inferior (if tough) opponent at a rainy Soldier Field.
Alas, the Bears overcame a sloppy and sleepy Caleb Williams at a windy Soldier Field by intercepting Spencer Rattler three times and sack-stripping him en route to a 26-14 win to move to 4-2. The good vibes from this team learning how to win continue.
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. It’s a wet day in Chicago following the morning rains, but two QB/C fumbled snaps in the first few plays is atrocious. I’m not sure what the hell Drew Dalman was doing on the 3rd down snap after the Montez Sweat strip of Spencer Rattler, but how is that even considered a play? Just weird stuff. Bears need to settle down on offense. Defense has started off brightly.
Weird start to this game. I don't like taking the ball first ever — let alone the 3 and out result.
Also, they might want to cool it a bit with the WR screens.
Oh, and Dalman / Caleb need to figure out whatever is happening on the snaps. Can't have this level of sabotage.
2. Well, this game just got weirder. What should’ve been a big gain to D’Andre Swift in Saints territory got called back on an “OPI” by Colston Loveland. The call on Monday night against him was really bad… and this one was even worse. There was NOTHING to see on that one.
This OPI on Loveland is an even worse call than Monday night's.
And then after another RB screen got batted down by the Saints, Caleb tried to hit Rome Odunze deep on 3rd and 17 and left it too inside and late… and it got picked off. The Bears are certainly playing like this is a letdown game on offense, and that’s just inexcusable. (Thankfully, New Orleans missed a long field goal attempt to keep it at 3-0, Bears.)
3. Man, you know Dennis Allen’s just been WAITING to dial up some cool blitzes with his defensive backs. A nickel blitz by Kyler Gordon and a safety rush by Jaquan Brisker two plays later both resulted in sacks. Allen’s really been patching together the defense while many of his guys were out. And he’s starting to play more chess now. Fun to watch his creativity.
Not getting fooled by Taysom Hill and dropping him for a loss of nine? Yeah, it’s personal for DA.
4. Caleb’s having a really off day today – with several head-scratching decisions at times. But the running game has really come alive. It’s been fun to watch. D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai took over with the Bears up 13-0 and walked the Bears down the field for a touchdown — sandwiching another key 3rd down conversion to Colston Loveland near the red zone. Remember, Loveland had a key conversion in Washington on the game-winning drive as well.
Bears up 20-0 at the two-minute warning. Saints have a “double up” opportunity with the ball after halftime, so hopefully the defense doesn’t lose focus. But it’s been good to see the Bears start to wake up and make the adjustments towards a hard-hitting running game while Caleb figures things out.
5. Just a terrible way to go into halftime and emerge from halftime. Bears give up back to back touchdowns, unable to stop Rattler and Chris Olave. Bears’ pressure back to not getting home and with Stevenson’s injury, this makes this game pretty tough.
The offense did respond with a field goal drive, but with a 4th and 1 inside the 1-yard line, a false start SAVED the Bears from getting nothing due to what would’ve been a fumbled snap. This team is still too sloppy to trust.
23-14 towards the end of the third quarter, but frankly the Saints have momentum and are riding it.
Time for Caleb to step up and be a multiplier.
This is feeling like Week 1 all over again.
That post-4th down stop awful drive was a turning point…
6. Man, Kevin Byard’s interception on Rattler’s deep heave is one of the more clutch takeaways of the season — just behind Nahshon Wright‘s fumble recovery late last Monday night. Saints had had no trouble their last couple drives, so to take the ball away there after an uneasy feeling started creeping into Soldier Field… that’s a potential game changer again, if the offense can capitalize. Good players stepping up in key moments.
I was expecting a flag on Jaquan Brisker for roughing the passer because the refs have been all too quick to call them. But they escaped.
NOTE: <At this point, I had to leave to tend to something for my wife, so the following thoughts are upon coming back and rewatching the rest>
7. The job Ben Johnson and his crew have done with the running game coming out of the bye is nothing short of miraculous. The offensive line looks cohesive, and the backs are running physical. D’Andre Swift has been outstanding, and Kyle Monangai had a really nice day contributing as well. Over 200 yards on the ground collectively, especially to help grind out key yards to salt the game away. The Bears really have something of an identity forming now.
A good run game travels, too. And with two straight road games coming up, that’ll be useful.
8. Caleb didn’t have a great day, but the offense still put 386 yards of offense and scored 26 points. Imagine saying that at any point in the last few years. Ben has quite a bit of work to do with him still, but the foundation is really coming together.
Also, Colston Loveland only had three targets — but two of them converted key downs. One on the Bears’ first touchdown drive, and the last on the 4th down to salt the game. Last week, he caught a key third down conversion on the Bears’ final drive. He’s becoming a safety blanket for Caleb.
I'm telling you, this team is so close to being a juggernaut.
But so far because they can't help themselves with dumb mistakes.
When they and Caleb figure it out, it'll be really fun.
9. Dennis Allen with a revenge game of the ages. The Saints are scrappy and interesting, and Kellen Moore has gotten a lot out of Spencer Rattler. What Allen did to them was very impressive. He deservedly got the game ball in the Bears’ locker room. Good for him.
Losing Stevenson for the game isn’t good – hopefully he and Cole Kmet are OK to go next week.
10. Jake Moody made every field goal at a windy Soldier Field. He’s more than held down the fort in Cairo Santos‘ absence. The Bears have a decision to make with him, and I think it might be worth putting Santos on IR and keeping Moody around longer to help heal Santos’ thigh even more. I think Santos is (and should be) the kicker when he’s healthy. But why rush him back?
11. The Bears head to Baltimore next week to take on the banged up Ravens. It’s a season from hell for Baltimore, but they should be getting Lamar Jackson back next week. I’m a little concerned about the Bears’ ability to stop him with Stevenson also out. But that run defense is also gettable, and I expect the Bears to continue to lean on that on the road.
The New Orleans Saints came to town hoping to play spoiler for the Chicago Bears‘ recent fun. Though 1-5, the team had shown most of the year to be a pesky opponent. Sunday was no exception. They managed to frustrate Caleb Williams most of the afternoon, getting him to have his worst game of the year. However, that didn’t help much against the Bears’ ground attack, which racked up 222 yards. However, the true star of the show was Chicago’s defense, which sacked Spencer Rattler four times and forced four turnovers. The mastermind behind all of it was Dennis Allen.
While he may not have said so, that game was personal for the Bears’ defensive coordinator. He’d been the head coach of the Saints since 2022. He’d gone 9-8 in 2023. Unfortunately, injuries piled up last year, and the team plummeted to 5-12. Allen was fired after a 2-7 start. He may not have said so at the time, but it’s fair to believe he felt he was unfairly treated. If you don’t believe that, you must hear his post-game speech to the locker room after getting the game ball for the defense’s outstanding performance.
He couldn’t resist a subtle dig at his former team.
Dennis Allen is by far the Bears’ best acquisition of 2025.
Plenty of other additions have looked great, like Joe Thuney, Jonah Jackson, Drew Dalman, Luther Burden, and Kyle Monangai. However, nobody has had such a massive impact in a short amount of time like Dennis Allen. This defense was one of the worst in the NFL when the season began, getting trampled for 52 points in week two. Since then, the Bears have 15 takeaways and are giving up 19 points per game. Much of that is thanks to Allen’s adjustments to the lineup and schemes. Guys are completely bought in. You can tell from how they reacted to him getting that game ball. With Johnson elevating the offense rapidly, this team looks as well-balanced as it’s been in a long time. There is still plenty of work to do, but the vibes are off the charts now.
The Chicago Bears were dead in the water. Detroit had just sent them home with the most humiliating defeat in a decade, 52-21. Everybody declared the team a lost cause. Everything would need to be rebuilt. Head coach Ben Johnson might be the right guy for the job, but he had so much work to do. Johnson refused to accept that. Those players were capable of playing better. He merely had to get them pointed in the right direction. After a tough week of practice, they crushed the Dallas Cowboys at home. Then things changed when they pulled off back-to-back 4th quarter comebacks to take down Las Vegas and Washington.
The heart monitor was beeping again. Guys were starting to believe. Another victory on Sunday, this in more convincing fashion against the New Orleans Saints, 26-14, put the Bears on their first four-game win streak in seven years. Yet Johnson wasn’t done delivering miracles. Before the bye, Chicago had the 31st-ranked rushing attack in the NFL. Something clearly changed during the break. The Bears put up 145 yards on Washington last week. Then they trampled the Saints for 222 yards.
It has to be the single-greatest in-season turnaround any Bears head coach has engineered in years.
Ben Johnson has the entire team playing inspired football.
It seems like every time they need something to happen, a different part of the team makes a play. In Las Vegas, it was Caleb Williams leading a crucial late drive in the 4th quarter to score the go-ahead touchdown. Last week, it was a resurgent rushing performance by D’Andre Swift. This time, it was a swarming defense that sacked Spencer Rattler four times, intercepted him three times, and forced him to fumble once. When they talk about complementary football, this is a perfect example.
What Ben Johnson has accomplished is nothing short of a miracle. Remember, this team was 5-12 last year. They were widely known for being mentally weak and easy to break when things got tough. Lesser men would’ve let those first two games kill the season dead. Johnson used them as fuel. He refused to bend, pushing himself and his players to fight back.
Now they’re 4-2, exhibiting confidence the organization hasn’t felt in too long.
