As the season draws to a close, the Chicago Bears (9-3) sit atop both the NFC North and NFC overall. After a 24-15 win against the defending Super Bowl Champions, the Philadelphia Eagles, and a little help from the Carolina Panthers’ win over the Los Angeles Rams, the Bears head into their rivalry game against the Green Bay Packers as legit playoff contenders.
How did the Bears go from being one of the most clowned-upon teams to making national headlines and potentially becoming a playoff threat in just one year? Well, let me tell you a fairytale story.
Once upon a time, there was a man named Ben Johnson
One year ago, the Bears were coming off their worst and gut-wrenching loss of the season.
That’s saying a lot because the Bears were riding a five-game losing streak. These games included an overtime loss to the Minnesota Vikings, a blocked field goal that cost them the game against the Packers and a brutal Hail Mary loss against the Washington Commanders.
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In Week 13, the Bears faced the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving. The Bears played a close game against the conference leaders. When it seemed like Chicago had a chance to win, former head coach Matt Eberflus failed to call a timeout, handing the Bears another loss.
The Bears fired Eberflus the next day.
Somewhat poetically, Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson watched the game from the opposite sideline. At the time, Johnson was in charge of one of the best offenses in the NFL and was garnering interest as a head coaching candidate.
Once the Lions clinched a first-round bye, Johnson met with the Bears about a potential head coaching opportunity. On Jan. 20, Johnson took the job.
Within his first season as a head coach, Johnson brought about a change in the locker room culture. Under him, the offense has gone from a league-worst 284.6 yards per game in 2024 to a top-ten mark of 374.3.
Johnson has replicated his success and play style that helped make Detroit a top offense in prior seasons. Instead of trying to air it out to get his offense down the field, the team is making sure its run game helps set the tone. This allows his quarterback time to make plays and helps control the game as he wants it to be played.
Johnson’s first off-season acquisition was the start of building the offense he envisioned.
The ‘Great Wall of Chicago’
When the Eagles lifted the Lombardi trophy, they made one thing clear: A good offensive line is one of the keys to success in the league. The Bears had drafted themselves a franchise-capable player in Caleb Williams, and the big fix they needed was an offensive line to protect him.
In 2024, Williams suffered 68 sacks — third most in a single season. The first thing that Johnson did offensively in the 2025 offseason was focus on the offensive line. In March, the Bears signed center Drew Dalman. Dalman ended the 2024 season as the league’s fifth-best center by PFF and has had a reputable amount of success in prior seasons.
Next, the Bears traded for offensive guards Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson. Combined with 2023 10th overall draft pick, offensive tackle Darnell Wright, the Bears were setting themselves up to build a dominant offensive line.
Twelve games into the season, those key assets that Johnson and the Bears brought in are showing results. The Bears have one of the best running offenses, almost eclipsing 2,000 rushing yards this season. Importantly, Williams has only been sacked 19 times this season.
Notable quarterbacks like Lamar Jackson, Patrick Mahomes, Jalen Hurts, Josh Allen and Jared Goff have all been sacked at least 25 times so far this year.
And they all lived happily ever after … well, not yet
Now that the Bears have pulled off their biggest upset of the season, it can be easy to ride the high of this fairytale story. This Cinderella-like run could just be beginning, but as all fairytales have, some twists could happen when least expected.
The Bears are still dealing with numerous defensive injuries. This month features their toughest rounds of opponents, and it all starts with two games against the Packers for the NFC North throne.
@Jon_Mathew23
