We’re through week nine of the NFL season, which is the halfway mark, and the Chicago Bears have played eight games, which is as close to half of 17 as you can get, so it’s time, once again, for me to assess where my beloved Bears are.

The Bears sit at 5-3, tied for second place with Detroit in the NFC North, half a game back of Green Bay. I’m thrilled to be in this position, but at the same time I can’t help but rue what could have been.

The second quarter of the season started well. The Bears exorcised the demons of the Matt Eberflus era for themselves and their fanbase when they won a hard fought battle against the Washington Commanders, the team that lit the fire that eventually burned down the Bears 2024 season with that Hail Mary loss.

The Bears got the running game going against Washington, D’Andre Swift was the best player on the field that game. Even better, the Bears run defense stiffened up against what was the best rushing offense in the NFL.

Next up, the Bears had the lowly New Orleans Saints and they took care of business. They made things a little more uncomfortable than they needed to be with defensive lapses right before and right after halftime, but the Bears were pretty much in control the entire way.

Swift was, once again the best player on the field, but fellow running back, rookie Kyle Monangai had a great game too. Defensive veterans Kevin Byard & Tremaine Edmunds continued their stellar seasons with each getting an interception.

I wrote earlier about the disappointment of the blown lead against Minnesota in the opener, so I won’t elaborate on that further. I will, however, express the regret of losing in week 8 to a Baltimore Ravens team playing without Lamar Jackson.

Baltimore was a better team than their record indicates, and truth be told I had long written that game off as a loss, but it’s still a tough pill to swallow because the Bears definitely had a chance.

No offense to Snoop Huntley, who is a much better backup for the Ravens than Cooper Rush, but he’s not in the same stratosphere as Lamar Jackson. The Bears defense made him look like it, though.

Beyond that, the Bears shot themselves, repeatedly, in the foot. Pre-snap penalties and just terrible execution in the red zone forced them to settle for field goals on their first two drives. The Bears were dominating the first quarter, then the Ravens woke up.

Caleb Williams didn’t play well. The running game was less explosive than it had been, and the defense didn’t produce a turnover, after feasting for four straight weeks. What’s more is the Ravens had free running receivers all game.

Baltimore is a very good football team and I fully expect them to make a run at the AFC North crown now that they’re healthy, but I can’t help but wonder if things would have gone differently had the Bears scored touchdowns instead of field goals on those first two drives.

If the Bears end up missing the playoffs by a game or two, I’ll look back on this loss and the earlier loss to Minnesota with even bigger regrets.

Week nine offered a chance to bounce back with a matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals without Joe Burrow. The Bengals offense has been better since they acquired Joe Flacco, but their defense is atrocious. If ever there was a get right game for Caleb Williams, this was it.

Williams and the offense were superb. Kyle Monangai started in place of an injured Swift and had a monster game. DJ Moore had his best game of the season and rookie tight end Colston Loveland had his breakout performance, including what may be the play of the season for the Bears.

It wasn’t a great game for the Bears defense or special teams, and it looked like they were about to have an epic collapse that we fans have gotten all too familiar with, but these Bears are different. Instead of finding ways to lose every week, Ben Johnson’s Bears are finding ways to win.

Things I’m Happy About

• The Offensive Line: It seems like ages since the Bears have had an offensive line this good. Since the bye, the line has been the strength of this team. The Bears couldn’t run the ball, at all, before the bye. Since, they’re one of the best rushing offenses in the NFL. Caleb Williams’ sack numbers are way down, and honestly almost every sack he has taken is on him for holding the ball too long. I think it’s very possible that the Bears have two offensive linemen make the Pro Bowl this year. Joe Thuney is a lock because of his career body of work as well as his play this season. I think if they stay in contention through the end of the season that Darnell Wright could also earn the honor. Wright has been nothing short of dominant this season. Drew Dalman & Jonah Jackson have also been pretty good additions to the offensive line, and while I don’t think Theo Benedet is the long term solution at left tackle, he has been serviceable and has solidified the unit as a whole.

• Running Backs: Before their bye, the Bears couldn’t run the ball… at all. The only reason they had a yards per carry above 3.0, as a team, were because of Caleb Williams’ scrambles. There was rampant speculation the Bears might be in the market for a running back at the trade deadline, at the very least many fans were looking at the 2026 draft. Then, something happened. The new look offensive line started to gel and the running backs took advantage. D’Andre Swift has been the best offensive weapon for the Bears since the break, until he sat out versus the Bengals due to injury. Rookie Kyle Monangai might not have completely supplanted Swift, but he’s at least forced Ben Johnson to make the RB rotation more of a time share. Swift and Monangai aren’t Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery, but Ben Johnson may have found his discount “Sonic & Knuckles”.

• Some of the Defense: The Bears defense has been routinely gashed this season, but they’ve proven to be opportunistic ball hawks. Linebacker Tremaine Edmunds and safety Kevin Byard have been especially good. At the start of the season, I thought this might be the last year we saw Edmunds & Byard in a Bears uniform, Byard is a free agent after the season and I thought Edmunds could end up being a cap casualty. Now, I think both will be back in 2026, and Edmunds may get an extension that could lower his cap hit. The Bears cornerbacks have been ravaged by injuries (more on that later) but Tyrique Stevenson has stepped up. He returned from his own injury against the Bengals and he wasn’t good, but he’s been mostly good all season. Don’t look now, but Montez Sweat is looking like the player he was when the Bears first traded for him. If the Bears could add a competent complimentary pass rusher, Sweat could post even bigger numbers.

Things I’m Concerned About

• Caleb Williams: In particular, his accuracy and his tendency to fall back on “Superman mode”. Williams is still good for a few WOW throws every game, which makes the mistakes that much more frustrating. I think everything is tied together. Caleb naturally wants to hit the big play on every drop back, when the initial read isn’t there is where the issues start. Caleb’s instinct is to use his natural ability to make a play, but Ben Johnson is coaching him to take the outlet provided. It’s a shift in thinking for Williams and it’s a work in progress. I think on the shorter, ‘check down’ throws that he remembers late what he’s being coached to do and he rushes the throw. Footwork and mechanics are off and his throws are inaccurate. I can see growth, though, and I think Ben Johnson is molding him into the quarterback he wants. If he can improve his accuracy and speed up his decision making, after the first read, Caleb Williams and this Bears offense could really take off.
• Rome Odunze: Odunze got off to such a hot start, but he’s really cooled off, including getting completely shut out against the Bengals. He’s still Williams’ number one target and his numbers over the last four games should be better. He had a beautiful touchdown catch taken off the board against Washington because of a questionable penalty and he should have had a touchdown against Cincinnati, but he dropped it. That’s the issue I have with Odunze right now. Even in his best games, Odunze is good for at least one drop a game. Sure, they’re not always the easiest catches, but a true number one receiver has to come down with some of them. Odunze is usually the guy Caleb looks for when he’s in trouble or the Bears need a big play, but if the Bengals game is any indication, I think Colston Loveland might start pushing him for those ‘gotta have it’ targets.

• Kyler Gordon: This could be the entire Bears cornerback room, but I’m going to focus on Gordon. This is tough, because when he’s on the field, Gordon is spectacular. He’s one of the best nickel corners in the NFL, when healthy. Therein lies the rub. As one person said on social media, “Kyler Gordon is made of wet newspaper”. The old saying goes ‘the best ability is availability’, and unfortunately Gordon is, too often, unavailable. The Bears have a much better defense, both against the run & pass, when Gordon plays, the question is will he ever be durable enough?
• Special Teams: Anyone who has watched multiple Bears games this year knew that the opening kickoff return for a touchdown that Cincinnati had was coming. The Bears kickoff coverage has been suspect all season. They gave up a big return to the Raiders after taking a late lead, only Josh Blackwell’s blocked field goal saved them. Against Baltimore, a great punt downed at the one yard line was wiped out by an illegal formation. They also got an illegal formation penalty on a kickoff against Cincinnati. To me, this kind of stuff falls on the coordinator. Richard Hightower has a good reputation throughout the league, but I think he’s on the hot seat right now. Another special teams issue is more about personnel than scheme. Cairo Santos has been a pretty good kicker for the Bears, but I have to wonder if his days are numbered. When you’ve got kickers throughout the league hitting 60+ yard field goals (shout out to new record holder Cam Little) and most kickers being nearly automatic from 50-60, it’s concerning when you have a kicker with much more limited range. There’s also been at least one instance where the Bears needed a kickoff to be blasted through the end zone & Santos just can’t do it. Jake Moody filled in for a couple games and he looked good. He did have one blocked and his inconsistencies that led to his release from San Francisco are well known, but he’s got a much stronger leg than Santos and I have to wonder if the Bears might be better off with him as our kicker.

Looking Ahead

The Bears have already matched their win total from last season and they’re firmly in the mix in the NFC and the North division. The next quarter of the season will determine if they’re playing meaningful games in December.

• vs New York Giants- Flat out must win game for the Bears. The Giants are a much more inferior team and the game is at home. Chicago has no margin for error if they want to make a playoff push. They have a tough schedule in December and they cannot afford to lose games they should win.
• @ Minnesota Vikings– The Bears get a chance to avenge their season opening loss. The Vikings present the same problem for the Bears that Cincy did: elite receivers against a depleted secondary. But JJ McCarthy isn’t Joe Flacco. He hasn’t even played 3 full games in the NFL yet. It won’t be easy in Minnesota, but winning this will announce to the world that the Bears are contenders.
• vs Pittsburgh Steelers- The Bears welcome their old nemesis, Aaron Rodgers, back to Soldier Field. I want this one very, very badly. Not only do I want to beat Rodgers in the worst way, but with several really tough games after this, a win here could go a long way to keeping them in contention. It is winnable. Pittsburgh’s defense hasn’t been great and neither has their offensive line.
• @ Philadelphia Eagles- I’m not delusional, barring an unforeseen catastrophe befalling the defending champions, the Bears are not winning this one. However, if they can win their previous three games, that puts them at 8-4 entering December and you have to feel pretty good about that. I’m looking at this Black Friday matchup as a litmus test, I just want the Bears to look competitive.
• @ Green Bay Packers- The Bears open December with a trip to Lambeau. You have no idea how great a win here would feel. Caleb Williams would move to 2-0 in Green Bay & the Bears would officially announce their presence in the realm of contenders.

If the Bears can go 4-1 in this stretch, we’re going to the playoffs, baby! That might be a lot to ask, though. 3-2 puts that at 8-5 with four to play, there are tough games down the stretch but winnable ones too.

Anything less than.500 in this stretch and we’re probably looking at elimination at some point in December.

Halfway Predictions Reboot

AFC PLAYOFFS

• AFC East Winner– Buffalo Bills
• AFC North Winner– Baltimore Ravens
• AFC South Winner– Indianapolis Colts
• AFC West Winner– Denver Broncos

I think Buffalo will eventually overtake New England, but I’m not counting the Patriots out. Baltimore is finally healthy and I think they’ll go on a run. Indianapolis will cruise in the South and Denver will hold off the Chiefs, barely.

• AFC Wildcards– New England Patriots, Kansas City Chiefs, Pittsburgh Steelers

I think the Patriots and Chiefs are locks and the seventh seed is up for grabs. I like the Chargers, but they just lost Joe Alt and they really struggled with him out earlier this season. Jacksonville is wildly inconsistent and even though I expect Pittsburgh to falter down the stretch, they always seem to sneak in.

• AFC CHAMPION– Kansas City Chiefs

Here it is, the fact is that if some team doesn’t kill the Chiefs in December, they’re not getting beat in January. Buffalo and Baltimore have proven they can’t beat Mahomes when it matters. Maybe one of the upstarts, like Indy or New England, can find a way, but I’m not ready to pick them yet.

NFC PLAYOFFS

• NFC East Winner– Philadelphia Eagles
• NFC North Winner– Detroit Lions
• NFC South Winner– Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• NFC West Winner– Los Angeles Rams

Philly & Tampa are locks. The North is up for grabs, but I like the Lions to prevail. The West will be a dogfight between LA & Seattle

• NFC Wildcards– Seattle Seahawks, Green Bay Packers, Chicago Bears

The runner up in the West should get in, I think that’s Seattle. Same goes for the North and Green Bay has the advantage of a tie on their record. The final spot comes down to San Francisco, Chicago & Carolina. Call me a homer, but I think the Bears will do it with a week 17 win in San Francisco.

• NFC CHAMPION– Philadelphia Eagles

Philly had a two game stumble after a 4-0 start, but they’ve righted the ship and once again look like the team to beat. I think the Rams are their biggest obstacle with the Bucs lurking.

• SUPER BOWL– Philadelphia Eagles over Kansas City Chiefs

• MVP– Right now, my pick for MVP is Patriots quarterback Drake Maye. Josh Allen, Baker Mayfield & Patrick Mahomes are in the mix, as well. Even though the MVP almost always goes to a QB, I think Colts running back Jonathan Taylor should be in the conversation, too.

• Offensive Player of the Year– My pick is Jonathan Taylor and I think he should be in the MVP conversation. Among non-quarterbacks, Seattle wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba & San Francisco running back Christian McCaffrey are contenders. Some dark horse candidates include Cincinnati wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, Buffalo running back James Cook & Atlanta running back Bijan Robinson.

• Defensive Player of the Year– I doubt he gets it because the Browns are not in contention, but Myles Garrett is the best defensive player in the NFL, in my opinion. Denver’s Nik Bonitto, the Rams’ Byron Young & Detroit’s Aidan Hutchinson are also contenders.

• Coach of the Year– Nobody saw this Colts team coming. Head coach Shane Steichen is my current favorite for coach of the year, but New England’s Mike Vrabel & Chicago’s Ben Johnson are strong contenders.
• Offensive Rookie of the Year– Tampa Bay wide receiver Emeka Egbuka is still my favorite. NY Giants running back was starting to make noise until he was lost for the season. Cleveland running back Quinshon Judkins is probably Egbuka’s biggest challenger now, with Carolina wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan lurking, Two Chicago Bears rookies might have announced their presence in the race this weekend, running back Kyle Monangai & tight end Colston Loveland could make a late push.

• Defensive Rookie of the Year– I think Cleveland linebacker Carson Schwesinger has surged ahead in this race. NY Giants edge rusher Abdul Carter is still a contender as are Cleveland’s Mason Graham, Seattle’s Nick Emmanwori, Denver’s Jahdae Barron & Philadelphia’s Andrew Mukuba.

• Comeback Player of the Year: Does a player have to come back from an injury or just from mediocrity? I’m not sure. Nobody expected Daniel Jones to play at this level, and for that reason I think he’s the heavy favorite for this award. The Chargers’ Quentin Johnston is a distant second.

• Protector of the Year: This is a tough award to predict because it’s a first time award. I’m going with the best player on the best run blocking offensive line, Indianapolis guard Quenton Nelson.