Everybody left the Chicago Bears for dead three weeks ago. It was understandable. They’d just gotten humiliated in Detroit 52-21 by the Lions. They looked way too much like the team from last year: weak, uninspired, and undisciplined. However, new head coach Ben Johnson wasn’t about to let that persist. He upped the intensity at practice and had them ready for Dallas the next week. After crushing the Cowboys, they stole a victory in Las Vegas with a 4th quarter comeback. Could that magic persist in Washington?

The answer was yes. After leading 13-7 at the half, Chicago watched the Commanders assert control in the 3rd quarter. Things looked bleak with 11 minutes left, as the score became 24-16. Then the Bears struck back. They scored to make it 24-22. A fumble recovery gave them the ball with three minutes left. Caleb Williams and D’Andre Swift led them down the field, capping it with a Jake Moody 38-yard field goal for the win.

Not only had the Bears reached a three-game winning streak, but they’d accomplished something the NFL hasn’t seen in almost a century.

Several notable aspects stand out regarding this Chicago Bears accomplishment.

To begin with, it is remarkable that it took this long to achieve. You’d think at some point a team would’ve won a typical game like 10-9 or 14-13 two weeks in a row. Those scores aren’t hard to achieve. It being 25-24 makes it even crazier since only 20 games have ended with those numbers in league history. What makes this better is the historical layers involved. Upon digging deeper, you’ll find that one of those 7-6 outcomes the Yellowjackets achieved came at the expense of the Chicago Bears.

If that weren’t enough, both victories proved crucial to Frankford’s season. They helped the team finish with a 14-1-2 record, which was enough to outpace the 12-3-1 Bears for the NFL championship that season. Ironically, the Yellow Jackets folded after two more seasons. Chicago still exists today. Pretty amazing.

Maybe it’s a sign that good things are ahead for this team.

The Chicago Bears got a huge win on Monday night. At 3-2, they’re officially still in the playoff race. Winning that game was critical to keep pace in the NFC North — one of the toughest divisions in the NFL. But the victory may have also opened up a few new paths for General Manager Ryan Poles, including the possibility of a trade.

With D’Andre Swift’s breakout performance against the Commanders and undrafted rookie Theo Benedet impressing at left tackle, the offensive line looked as good as it has all season. Because of that, a move for a running back might not be as necessary as it seemed just a week ago.

However, there are still other areas the Bears could look to upgrade — most notably at edge rusher. Austin Booker is expected back next week after missing Monday’s game, which should provide a boost, but Montez Sweat still hasn’t quite lived up to the expectations that came with trading a second-round pick for him. To be fair, he played well against Washington, but adding another veteran to the mix could make sense.

Will the Bears make a move before the deadline? Could it happen even sooner? The win against Washington might speed things up a bit, but the door is officially open — and Poles has shown he’s not afraid to be aggressive. It’ll be fascinating to see how he handles the next few weeks, with the Bears in a “win-now” mindset despite this being Ben Johnson’s first season. With Caleb Williams still on his rookie deal, the time to strike is now.

Monday night in Washington revealed two things. The first is that Darnell Wright has arrived. Ryan Poles’ first official 1st round pick as a GM dominated the Commanders in every facet of the game, allowing one pressure and blowing open holes in the run game. It was a star-making performance. However, it didn’t stop there. After reviewing the tape, multiple experts at the national level agreed on another fact. The Chicago Bears may have discovered a hidden gem at left tackle as well.

Theo Benedet is the real deal.

Nobody gave him the time of day last year. Benedet was a standout at the University of British Columbia in 2022 and 2023. That didn’t mean much since most players who come from Canada don’t transition well to the American version of football. Still, Benedet excelled on the All-Star game circuit and impressed the Bears enough to earn an undrafted contract. One year later, his work in training camp stood out to new head coach Ben Johnson, who elevated him to the primary backup tackle.

Then Braxton Jones got benched during the game in Las Vegas. Just like that, Benedet was promoted to starter. On Monday night, he put the league on notice. He isn’t a fluke.

Ryan Poles deserves credit where it’s due.

The criticism of the Bears GM over the past several months has been well-earned. He has had some poorly judged misfires during his tenure. That said, it is important to be fair in these assessments. Give the man his props when they’re earned. It sure looks like he scored a big hit with Benedet. People don’t understand how difficult it is to find capable starters in undrafted free agency, but it’s doubly so for offensive linemen. Only around 11% of all starters in the NFL are undrafted.

If the experts are right and the Bears may have found a legitimate solution in Benedet, Ryan Poles may have pulled off one of the rarer feats a general manager can accomplish in this league. It would also alter the team’s plans for the 2026 offseason. Instead of focusing on the search to find a left tackle, they could devote their resources to other positions of need.

The Chicago Bears pulled off another stunner on Monday night in Washington. Just like in Las Vegas, they fell behind late in the 4th quarter, only to engineer another drive for a go-ahead score. This time it came courtesy of their resurgent ground game and the right leg of 49ers castoff Jake Moody. Still, the two men at the heart of the victory were head coach Ben Johnson and quarterback Caleb Williams. Johnson called an excellent game all night while Williams protected the ball and made plays when he had to.

It wasn’t the prettiest win, but they don’t care about that. One person who couldn’t seem to get over it was Troy Aikman. The former Super Bowl champion was highly critical of the Bears throughout the broadcast, downplaying everything they did as merely good luck. Williams, ever the internet troll, couldn’t resist sniping Aikman on Instagram.

He wasn’t alone.

Johnson happened to hear the broadcast the following morning as his kids were getting ready for school. He took a dig at Aikman as well during an interview with Jeff Joniak on ESPN 1000.

Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams take things personally.

Don’t be fooled by the even-keeled professionalism in their words. Those two know how to hold a grudge when they feel slighted. They just find creative ways to express it. Williams uses social media. Ben Johnson makes pointed comments that are easy to read between the lines. It is clear that those two didn’t care for what Aikman had to say. For somebody who is supposed to be unbiased, his commentary felt slanted against the Bears all night. Previous quarterbacks and head coaches would’ve let the matter go, allowing the win to speak for itself.

Not these two. They intended to have the last word. Having two maniacal competitors at the forefront of your franchise is never a bad thing. It hasn’t been like this for the Bears since McMahon and Ditka in the 1980s. We all know they didn’t shy away from speaking their minds. Johnson and Williams have some of that same attitude.

The Chicago Bears pulled off another late-second comeback to win this year. This time, the stakes were significantly higher. They were going back into the same building where they endured the spirit-breaking Hail Mary last season. Everybody expected the Washington Commanders to take care of business just as they had back then. To the shock of almost everybody, the Bears didn’t let it happen. After falling behind 24-16 at one point, they battled their way back to 24-22 before taking possession with three minutes left. Guided by D’Andre Swift, they marched down the field to set Jake Moody up for a 38-yard field goal to win it.

Nobody dared say the Bears got lucky. They knew they couldn’t. Why? It had become clear throughout the game that Washington wasn’t the only thing they were fighting against. The referees had it out for them, too. Chicago was penalized nine times in the game, and at least half of them were highly questionable. One offensive pass interference forced them to settle for a field goal. Another saw a touchdown taken off the board because of an illegal formation. That is 11 points the Bears were potentially robbed of.

Washington icon Darrell Green admitted after the game that the loss could’ve been much worse if not for some of those calls.

The Chicago Bears showed something unseen before.

They proved they could overcome things like that. Good teams find a way to deal with slanted referee calls and still win games. Previous versions of the Chicago Bears would’ve wilted over the constant setbacks. It looked like they were going to this time as well. After taking a 13-7 lead into the half, the Bears fell behind 24-16 in the 4th quarter. However, Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams refused to bend. After a quick scoring drive to make it 24-22, a turnover by the defense set them up with a chance to win with three minutes left. Johnson called a masterful drive that drained the clock, and Jake Moody took care of the rest on a 38-yard field goal.

Try as the refs might, they couldn’t stop what happened. Mental toughness is building at Halas Hall, and that is the first step towards success.

The Chicago Bears pulled off a thrilling win on Monday night against the Washington Commanders — but the game itself was only part of the story.

From an officiating crew that was downright awful and appeared lopsided against Chicago, to the broadcast booth featuring Joe Buck and Troy Aikman, it was a rough night all around.

Aikman in particular has faced plenty of criticism for how harsh he was on Bears quarterback Caleb Williams. No matter what Williams did — even on positive plays — Aikman seemed to find something to nitpick. Meanwhile, his praise for Commanders Jayden Daniels made it clear who his favorite was.

In a recent interview with ESPN 1000, Ben Johnson appeared to take a subtle shot at Aikman and the broadcast team. Johnson mentioned that he’d “heard some people weren’t fans of how the Bears are winning,” adding that his kids noticed the same thing while rewatching the second half before school.

It’s clear Johnson was likely calling out the Monday Night Football booth — and more specifically, Troy Aikman — for their unbalanced commentary. In doing so, he spoke for much of Chicago, who felt the same frustration watching the game.

Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears have finally arrived

Caleb Williams didn’t put up elite numbers on Monday night against the Washington Commanders. He had some misfires and looked uneven at times. However, he avoided mistakes and made some big throws in key situations to lift the Chicago Bears to another comeback win. He did it on the road against another young quarterback many feel is his superior, Jayden Daniels. Nobody tried to accentuate that gulf more than Troy Aikman. The former Super Bowl champion quarterback is part of one of the most prominent national announcing teams in the country. Typically, that is supposed to involve unbiased commentary.

Aikman threw that out the window in this game.

There were several instances where it felt like he downplayed the good plays Williams made and grossly inflated any mistakes made. Meanwhile, he unabashedly showered Daniels with praise all night, despite some rough turnovers. Fans watching the broadcast were initially annoyed. As Aikman’s jabs continued, that turned to anger. Soon, the former quarterback became the target of some of the most vicious trolling you’re likely to see this year. If the producers at ESPN won’t hold him accountable, everybody else will.

It is difficult to determine why Troy Aikman is so opposed to Williams.

Maybe he’s still smarting from the beatdown the Bears quarterback handed his Dallas Cowboys a few weeks ago. Or maybe he developed a dislike for him because he played for USC. Troy Aikman was an alum of UCLA. The most likely explanation is that he has let Williams’ rookie year cloud his judgment. Instead of calling the game straight, he almost expected a repeat of the game last season when the Bears quarterback struggled. When Williams wasn’t following that script, Aikman must’ve been annoyed.

Whatever the case, the Bears won’t lose sleep over ruining his night. Williams walking off the field with a shrug was the perfect response to everything that happened. The best part is they won’t have to see Aikman again this year. That was their last primetime game for the next two and a half months.