Anyone else still struggling to catch their breath after the final two and a half minutes of Sunday’s game in Cincinnati? It was an up-and-down game that saw eight lead changes, and when it felt like the Chicago Bears had all but salted the game away with just over two minutes remaining, the Bengals scored 15 points in less than a minute. That set the stage for one final offensive drive, in which quarterback Caleb Williams came through yet again.
It was far from a perfect game on either side of the ball, but for the first time in what feels like forever, the offense was the reason they won a game in a shootout. For more on Sunday’s happenings, let’s dive into a loaded installment of 10 Bears Takes.
1. Heading Into The Game, Both Teams Were At A Crossroads. A Win Would Keep One Team Competitive, While A Loss On The Other Side Would All But End A Season. In The End, The Bears Found A Way To Survive.
The classic “Must Win” game at the start of November might be a bit too dramatic to some, but for the Bengals, especially, it was do-or-die time. Despite their (2-0) start, things have not gone well since Joe Burrow was lost for three months. They are just (1-6) since that point, and even with the acquisition of Joe Flacco, who is having yet another insane renaissance, Cincinnati’s defense is historically bad. With the Baltimore Ravens on a two-game winning streak and looking like they have rounded back into form with Lamar Jackson under center, the Bengals’ chances of salvaging their season went almost all the way out the window on Sunday in front of a home crowd.
For the Bears, finding a way to get over the hump after a disappointing loss on the road to the Ravens last week was crucial to achieving success in November and December. Despite a new coaching staff and numerous new faces on the roster, the lingering “here we go again” feeling, which had been present after matching their 2025 record through seven games, was a real factor. The first half didn’t go as planned, including a pair of missed field goals (more on that later), but in the end, the offense was able to jumpstart in the second half with an almost seven-minute touchdown scoring drive to open the third quarter.
At one point late in the fourth quarter, it felt like the Bears had finally put the game away. Linebacker Tremaine Edmunds came up with what looked like a game-sealing 95-yard pick-six, but it was quickly called back after the officiating crew deemed that he was down by contact at the five. Following a quick three-and-out from the offense, it was all up to the defense again to put the game away. Yet, a questionable pass interference call nullified a potentially game-sealing interception, and 49 seconds later, the Bears found themselves down a point after having a 41-27 lead heading into the two-minute warning.
We’ve all seen the Bears blow leads. It’s nothing new, and frankly, this fan base has seen its fair share of unbelievable losses over the last five seasons. Their final offensive drive didn’t start well. Still, the final two plays saw quarterback Caleb Williams scramble for 14 yards, and then put the final dagger in the Bengals with a laser over the middle of the field to rookie Colston Loveland for a 58-yard touchdown pass.
In a matter of minutes, the Bears went from winning convincingly to a crushing loss to winning on one of the more exciting plays we’ve seen all season. That’s the NFL for you, and for the Bears, things continue not to be pretty or anywhere close to complete, but they are finding ways to win games. For now, it saves their season. Now we’ll see how they respond in a very winnable Week 10 matchup at Soldier Field.
2. Learning To Win Is A Real Thing, But At Some Point, The Bears Need To Make It A Little Easier On Themselves.
When Johnson was hired in late January, he was tasked not only with turning around the quarterback position and the offense, but also with capitalizing on the strength that comes with a long history of losing seasons at Halas Hall. When general manager Ryan Poles took over as the head decision-maker during the 2022 offseason, he gutted the entire roster, doing so with haste. Outside of a select few players, the whole roster bears his fingerprints. Any time a team makes a change at head coach, the person and their coaching staff will always have their own preferences when it comes to personnel. If a team is lucky, the visions of the front office and coaching staff will align enough to make it work in the short term. That’s precisely what the Bears have been trying to do in 2025.
The reality is that this roster is not built the way Johnson and his staff would like it to be, and this has been evident through the first eight games of the season. Part of that is removing the wrong personalities from the locker room. Although it’s a stretch to call any professional athlete lazy, Johnson’s practice habits and preferred style won’t be for everyone. If I had to guess, the Bears probably have a collection of at least five to seven veterans or high-round picks on rookie contracts that aren’t a “fit.”
Even so, it takes time to reshuffle a roster to the coaching staff’s liking. In that process, the primary focus must be on gaining buy-in from the current roster. For the most part, it seems like the players have taken to the message with little hesitation, but even so, there’s an entire losing culture that has lingered around the halls for far longer than most players have been with the organization. For the most part, there will constantly be growing pains with a new roster. The coaching staff is trying to figure out how to meet the standard, and the coaching staff (if they are worth their weight) will spend the first half of the season formulating plans to put their personnel in the best position to succeed. Oftentimes, that leads to tweaks within the scheme, which we’ve seen plenty of on both sides of the ball.
Long story short, there are many moving parts to any team with a first-year head coach and a brand new coaching staff. The fact that the Bears have found a way to start the season (5-3) and match their win total from 2024 in eight games is an excellent sign for the future. That said, at some point soon, “winning ugly” needs to go away.
Johnson has been clear that his team will never apologize for any win, and that’s fair, given the recent history of this franchise. Even so, it’s easy to believe that if the franchise had it its way, the entire team would start stringing together “complete” performances by now. After all, they are in a division that doesn’t have a team under .500 for the second time in as many years at this point in the season.
Everybody’s goals will be different in 2025, but the Bears are off to their best start since 2020, and the playoffs should be a real conversation. Can they continue to win this way and make it to the playoffs? Probably not. Is there enough time to salvage their current trajectory into something more sustainable? I believe so. Johnson has made it clear that this team is built to “win now”. How far that “win now” belief extends is anybody’s best guess, but it’s fair to say that there’s an organizational expectation to make the playoffs. At the very least, to be competitive heading into the latter part of December.
For that to happen, they must play more cohesively. When the offense is scoring points, the defense isn’t holding up its end of the bargain. When the defense is playing out of its mind, the offense can’t consistently find the end zone. It’s been a vicious cycle of frustration that seems to rear its ugly head in different ways each week. In reality, the Bears have two more games against teams under .500. One of those comes at home in Week 10, and the other won’t be seen until the middle of December. Winning in the NFL isn’t easy, but it’s much easier to play bad (and beat) bad teams versus playing that same brand of football against playoff and Super Bowl contenders. While the win is nice, for them to be considered a “dangerous” playoff contender, the complete product must emerge sooner rather than later.
3. The Trade Deadline Is Going To Be A Hot Topic Through The End Of Tuesday. If Jay Glazer’s Sunday Morning Report Holds True, The Bears Will Be Looking For Defensive Help.
Earlier in the week, ESPN’s Adam Schefter announced that the Bears were signing versatile defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson for the remainder of 2025. We’ll dive more into those details later, but following that move, it was fair to wonder if that would be Chicago’s “big move” before the deadline. Throughout the week, numerous reports have been released regarding the deadline. Through all of those reports (until Sunday), none of them specifically mentioned the Bears in any capacity.
That changed on Sunday morning when Fox’s Jay Glazer reported that the Bears were one of a handful of teams that had been the most active leading up to Tuesday’s deadline. There wasn’t much context outside of that, but Glazer did note that he didn’t expect it to be a “big” move, which could rule out someone like Trey Hendrickson. Later in Fox’s pregame show, Glazer noted that the team would be looking for “defensive help”, while singling out the pass rush. When running the financials, it’s easy to see how the Bears would probably be out of the “big fish” market. As of Wednesday, Chicago ranked 22nd in available cap space with $7.42 million, according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer.
Now, that figure doesn’t mean that the Bears can’t create additional space; in fact, it would be smart for them to do so, even if they planned to roll the majority of it over into 2026. As we’ve seen plenty of times before, the ability to move money around shouldn’t be an issue. Still, between Glazer’s report and the Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs’ latest column, it seems fair to expect a mid-level move, without much cap ramifications over a superstar addition.
With that in mind, what could the Bears be looking for? On paper, another proven edge rusher makes the most sense. With Shemar Turner done for the year, Dominique Robinson out for at least the next three games, and an anemic pass rush to this point, a defensive end (in what could be a flooded market) would make sense at the right price. Especially after Dayo Odeyinbo left Sunday’s game with what appeared to be an ankle injury that will take a few weeks to heal. Taking the information that’s out there so far, it seems like the Bears aren’t looking to make a substantial financial commitment, which leads me to believe that they’ll only deal a Day 3 pick. Maybe another cornerback could make sense, too. The general expectation is that Jaylon Johnson will return at some point in December, but nobody seems to know when. With Tyrique Stevenson back in the fold, and Gardner-Johnson manning the nickel until Kyler Gordon returns, maybe a pick swap for some additional starting-capable depth makes sense.
Although the running back position has been another highlight of the positional groups that fans have focused on, head coach Ben Johnson and his offensive staff have finally figured out their personnel. While D’Andre Swift missed Sunday’s game with a recurring groin issue, it sounds like this was more about maintenance and rest than anything expected to impact him long-term. Barring a surprise, running back or anything on the offensive side of the ball seems unlikely. The good news is that we’ll know soon, with the deadline just over 24 hours away.
4. With D’Andre Swift Out On Sunday, Seventh-Round Rookie Running Back Kyle Monangai Took Full Advantage Of His First Start Of His Career.
Any time an offense scored 47 points in a game, a lot had to go right. Even so, the Bears went into Sunday’s game without their top running back, their second-round receiver, and lost tight end Cole Kmet in the first half due to a concussion. In reality, Chicago has had many more favorable situations in which it’s failed to produce enough on offense.
Although quarterback Caleb Williams wasn’t anywhere near perfect, he posted 280-plus passing yards, three passing touchdowns, and even had a receiving touchdown. Yet, it wasn’t the passing game that stood out the most on Sunday. It was their seventh-round rookie running back who earned his first NFL start that stole the majority of the headlines.
For reference, Monangai came into Week 9 with 186 rushing yards and six receptions for a modest total. On Sunday, the former Rutgers product had 176 rushing yards (6.8-yard average) and three receptions for 22 yards. Although he didn’t factor in on any of the touchdowns, his rushing total ranked second-best in franchise history for a rookie running back, trailing just Anthony “A-Train” Thomas when he ran for 188 in 2001. Talk about a blast from the past.
All offseason, fans and spectators alike wondered when the Bears would make a notable addition to their running back room. Instead, Johnson maintained his confidence in a room that had suffered numerous injuries throughout training camp and the regular season. While Swift has been the primary back for most of the season, that seemed to shift in Week 8’s loss when Monangai and Swift shared a similar amount of the snap count. Only time will tell if that was due to Swift’s groin injury or an actual changing of the guard when it comes to how Johnson wants to approach the run game.
One thing is for sure: Monangai proved that not only does he belong, but his vision and unwillingness to go down on first contact are going to be a valuable asset for this run game for years to come. We’ll see how the snap share works itself out once Swift returns, but if the last few weeks are any indication, it’s clear that the Bears are going to be able to run the ball, no matter who is in the backfield taking handoffs.
5. Despite A 17-Point First Half For The Offense, Things Still Did Not Seem To Be Fully Clicking Once They Got Off Script, Until It Did. More On A Banner Day For The Offense With Multiple Unlikely Heroes Saving The Day In A 47-point Effort.
All in all, Sunday could be considered a “successful” day for the offense, but it’s hard to ignore some of the continued issues that are plaguing them from becoming a dangerous offense. Much of that still comes down to penalties and red-zone efficiency. The coaching staff made it a big talking point in the week leading up to the game, but without progress shown when it mattered, it was easy to dismiss.
If we’re being honest, a 17-point first half is a vast improvement over much of what we’ve seen since the departure of former head coach Matt Nagy. The Matt Eberflus era was a disaster when it came to scoring points. Frankly, they had many games where they were averaging close to 17 points per game for long stretches of his three years as head coach.
With that in mind, it’s still OK to demand more. Johnson and his coaching staff are, so why can’t fans?
In the end, the Bears scored 47 points, totaled 576 yards of total offense, and tallied 30 first downs on the day. No matter how you cut it, that’s an elite offensive performance. Yet, somehow their top receiver ended the day without a catch, and their quarterback still couldn’t eclipse the ever-elusive 70% completion rate that his head coach set as a benchmark before the season.
This isn’t meant to rain on anybody’s parade, but it’s yet to show that even in a 47-point performance, there’s still plenty yet to click for this offense. That should be exciting, especially if their second-year quarterback can use Sunday’s performance as a launching point for consistently taking the next step.
Continuing to reduce pre-snap penalties will be key, as will finishing red zone drives with touchdowns. This offense remains a work in progress, and if you trust Johnson at his word, the goal is to play their best football in the latter parts of the regular season, with a chance to make noise in the playoffs. More formidable defenses on the schedule are ahead, and those games will be the real test. For now, we can enjoy the high-octane performance while understanding that this is far from a finished product.
6. The Addition Of C.J. Gardner-Johnson Might Have Come As A Surprise, But It Made Sense For Plenty Of Reasons.
As evidenced over the last two games, the Bears’ cornerback room is a mess. Tyrique Stevenson returned after a short one-game absence on Sunday, but struggled mightily almost the entire game. Through two and a half seasons, that has been the story for the former second-round pick. At times, Stevenson appears to have reached his ceiling with CB1. At other points, he looks like he doesn’t belong in the starting lineup. Couple that with practice-squad-level players like Nahshon Wright and Nick McCloud receiving a healthy amount of starting snaps, and it’s easy to see why cornerback has been a significant need for this team.
Both Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon are expected back at some point this year, but in the present, this defense needs all the help they can get, especially with a nonexistent pass rush for the majority of each game.
Speaking of the pass rush, that’s another area where Gardner-Johnson can help. Some had wondered if defensive coordinator Dennis Allen would keep him at safety, but it was made clear early that the 27-year-old veteran would be relied upon as the team’s primary nickel. For now, this allows the defense to rotate Wright and McCloud based on opposing offenses, and it also provides them with some additional depth on the outside.
What became clear on Sunday is that they will need more help. Now, that doesn’t need to be a long-term starter, or someone they give up a valuable draft pick for, but this defense needs help, and they need it fast. Assuming Gardner-Johnson’s late-game injury isn’t too serious, fans can expect him to continue to play nickel until Gordon returns, then Allen can be a little more creative in where they deploy him. For now, it’s easy to see why the move made plenty of sense, while also acknowledging that another move needs to be made to replace Wright until Johnson can return. We’ll see what the deadline brings them, if anything.
7. I Noted It Last Week, And It’s Worth Bringing Up Again: The Cairo Santos Era Needs To End—More On A Brutal Day For The Special Teams Unit And What Needs To Change Moving Forward.
Officially, Santos’ lone miss came off a blocked field goal. Anyone who watched the game knows that they were bailed out by a Bengals’ offsides penalty, which negated an awful miss by Santos for just inside 50. Here’s the reality- The NFL’s kicking game has changed drastically over the last seven (or so) years. Hitting 50-plus field goals with regularity is the new norm. On the same day that Santo’ struggled with distance in an outdoor setting, Jacksonville Jaguars kicker Cam Little broke the NFL record with a 68-yard field goal, which had another 7-10 yards of room on it.
Santos has been great for what he is. Reliable inside 40 yards, and without weather being a factor, he’s capable of hitting a few shorter 50-53 yard attempts. The minute the weather becomes a factor or he’s having an “off day”, his kicks start low and are more likely to get blocked. This is a simple call for the Bears to embrace the era and seek a kicker who can be relied upon regularly for kicks of 50 yards or more. I’m not saying Jake Moody will be the long-term answer, but at this point, it’s worth taking an extended look.
As for the rest of the special teams… Sunday was about as much of a disaster as you can get in one game. Unless, of course, you’re willingly kicking to Devin Hester.
The game started with a 99-yard kick return for a touchdown from Charlie Jones. It continued with two missed kicks (one official), some significant kick returns, and a brutal holding call that wiped out a significant Devin Duvernay return, which would have been his only effective return on the day.
Special teams has long been an iffy spot for the Bears. It’s not a consistent issue, but it’s also not a consistent strength. Punter Tory Taylor had a career-long 71-yard punt, but he has not consistently developed nearly enough to justify being a fourth-round pick. Their coverage units tend to give up too many significant returns, and on the flip side, they cannot find a consistently good returner (outside of Velus Jones Jr., who fumbled way too much).
I’m not to the point of agreeing with the calls for Richard Hightower’s job, but the Bears’ margin for error is not big right now, and any negative impacts that the special teams units are having are only working against them tenfold. Let’s hope Sunday’s showing was more of an outlier than a representation of who the third phase truly is.
8. After Finding A Way To Get To (5-3), The Bears’ Playoff Odds Increased Dramatically With Plenty Of Work To Do.
Last week, I covered different playoff probabilities based on the next two games. At the bare minimum, they need to be (5-4) heading into Week 11’s matchup with the Vikings, but for a real opportunity to be pushing for a playoff spot heading into mid-to-late December, they needed to win both of their upcoming games. With one win down and a (2-7) New York Giants squad ahead, the Bears are on the verge of having an interesting December.
The difference between starting (4-4) and (5-3) was about a 35% change in probability. With a win next Sunday, their chances rise to nearly 80% based on historical trends. Obviously, their final eight games of the season will present quite a gauntlet. As of Week 9’s results, they’ve faced just two teams under .500, along with six of their final eight games being within the conference. Tie-breakers might play a part in that, which is why games against Minnesota, Detroit, Green Bay, Philadelphia, and San Francisco could loom large at the end of the year.
More importantly, a (6-3) start would make a (10-7) finish possible with a .500 finish down the stretch. For as tough as the schedule looks, any playoff team should be able to go (4-4) over those final eight games. In the NFL, teams never want to get too ahead of themselves, but this five-game stretch has brought the Bears back in the mix. Beating the Giants in Week 9 would only add to their favor.
9. NFC North Lookaround: Two Critical Losses At The Top Means That All Four Teams Are Separated By One Game Heading Into Week 10. More On What Turned Into Quite a Shake-up Of A Sunday.
Going into Sunday, I bet good money that the Lions would have blown out the Vikings, and that the Packers would have taken care of business at home against a highly uneven Carolina Panthers team. Instead, we got a surprise, and the best possible result for the Bears heading into Week 10.
We’ll start in Detroit, where all signs pointed to the Lions finally hitting their stride heading into Sunday. Yet, it was the Vikings, with J.J. McCarthy under center, that stole the show. Heading into the game, the Lions were 5-1 in their last six games, while the Vikings had lost three of their previous four. Detroit’s defense struggled to keep up with McCarthy, and the Lions’ offense was uncharacteristically “off” for most of the day. Lions quarterback Jared Goff finished under the 70% completion rate marker for the first time since Week 1, and Detroit’s offense rushed for just 65 yards on 20 carries. The Vikings, on the other hand, sacked Goff five times, forced a takeaway, and McCarthy accounted for three touchdowns, despite throwing for just 116 net yards (thanks to his five sacks for 27 yards). Running back Aaron Jones appeared to have taken back the reins as RB1 before leaving early with an injury. He still finished as the game’s leading rusher (78 yards) on just nine carries.
In Green Bay, it was another game where the offense just couldn’t get its footing. More alarming was the sheer amount of key injuries they sustained on Sunday, losing star tight end Tucker Kraft (expected ACL tear) and first-round rookie Matthew Golden. The defense continues to play at a top-tier level, but the offensive inconsistencies have become more common than anyone expected. On the day, opposing quarterback Bryce Young finished just 11-of-20 (55%) for 102 passing yards, no touchdowns, and one interception. Running back Rico Dowdle went for 130 rushing yards and two touchdowns, which has not been an issue for Green Bay’s defense almost all season.
With the Bears and Vikings winning, the NFC North standings have tightened up considerably heading into Week 10. Here’s what they look like heading into the halfway point of the season.
- Green Bay Packers (5-2-1)
- Detroit Lions (5-3)
- Chicago Bears (5-3)
- Minnesota Vikings (4-4)
Next weekend, the Packers will host a red-hot Eagles team on Monday Night Football, the Lions will head to Washington to face a struggling Commanders team, and the Vikings will play host to a desperate Baltimore Ravens team that needs to keep winning. With plenty of head-to-head divisional games on the horizon, the NFC North promises to be interesting through the remainder of the season.
10. Week 10 Look Ahead: Back Home To Chicago To Host The Fiesty (2-7) New York Giants.
On paper, this is a game the Bears should win. They are the better team, and the two teams are heading in opposite directions. As we’ve learned, nothing is easy for Chicago, and a team like the Giants is bound to give them yet another close game.
The Giants have only won two games this year, but rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart has given the team a spark with his exciting play. He’s mobile enough to create problems with his legs and has shown some polish, even as a first-year passer. The Giants’ defense has plenty of name value, especially in the trenches, but so far, the talent has not translated into a good product on the field. The loss of rookie running back Cam Skattebo was a big blow, and now it appears that Brian Daboll will continue to use a running back by committee approach.
Although New York’s defensive front strikes fear into the hearts of most quarterbacks with their ability to get after the passer, their run defense has been atrocious, giving up over an average of 150 yards per game. The Bears are coming off a 200-plus-yard performance, which should give them an advantage in controlling the game on the ground. With no Skattebo on the opposite side, the defense might force Dart to beat them through the air and with his legs.
With the Giants’ season all but over, and expected changes hanging in the balance, this feels like a game the Bears should win if they play halfway decent. That said, they’ve played almost every team close, with most losses coming down to the final quarter of the game. Chicago isn’t in a position to overlook any game on their schedule, but this is one where it cannot take the Giants lightly, even in front of a home crowd at Soldier Field.
