The Chicago Bears have not been a very good football team for years. The team suffered from collapses, inability to score on offense (traditionally relied on defense), poor coaching and a host of issues on the field. Against our rivals, The Green Bay Packers we've suffered from late game collapse or just have not been competitive. Playoff hopes often ended before the mid-point of the season.
This all came to head in '24 season. After starting out well at 4-2, a loss on a last second Hail Mary play to the Washington Commanders started team on an embarrassing 10-game losing streak that included seem them being dominated, playing like amateurs on the field, and multiple epic collapses. The '24 season epitomizes the same old Bears moniker. This was made all the more frustrating by the hope the fan base had with the number 1 overall pick of QB Caleb Williams and the #9 pick WR Rome Odunze.
During this period:
- The Bears lost to the Packers on a blocked field goal which came a week after another field goal was blocked by the Vikings.
- Botched on clock management against the Lions.
The 2025 Chicago Bears Season
Now comes the '25 season. The Bears landed new head coach, Ben Johnson, which was by-far the biggest news for the Bears. Some off-season signings addressing the O-line (a heavily criticized weakness through the previous season) gave some sparks of optimism, but lingering concerns about the Bears were still there. Caleb Williams was called a bust, the draft choices were met with skepticism, and doubts about the front office and the organization continued the narrative of "how are the Bears going to screw it up this time?"
Long time Bears fans, like any fan, always had a large vat of hope-ium but truly most fans are probably just praying (Da Pope, if you're listening) for a season of growth in in Ben Johnson's first year ("we'd be great if we reach 6-11 and show that we're competitive"). Here is a fan base that have seen decades of futility and have been conditioned to avoid expecting too much
With that, let's get into the season what was the '25 Chicago Bears
Week 1: Minnesota Vikings vs Chicago Bears (0-1)
First game optimism. Started out strong and getting fans excited to see the new Bears offense under Ben Johnson and initially it didn't disappoint with the Bears taking a 17-6 lead going into the the 4th quarter. Fans felt positive seeing the growth they wanted to see, but in the 4th quarter JJ McCarthy lead the Vikings on multiple scoring drives to take a 27-17 at the 2:53 remaining mark. 3 consecutive TDs that made the Bears look confused on defense and the Viking QB looking like the star that the Vikings was hoping for.
Caleb Williams came on the field and drove down the field with his arm and legs to deliver a TD with 2:02 remaining despite initially having a TD overturned as short of the goal line. On the next play, the Bears easily scores. The Bears received one more possession with :02 seconds left but the Bears come out losing.
This script is similar to the Bear's history with the exception that after giving up 3 straight TDs that the Bears responded with a TD of their own and didn't just call it in.
Week 2: Chicago Bears at Detroit Lions (0-2)
Ben Johnson returns to Detroit after been their OC for the past few years. The Lions destroyed the Bears winning 52 to 21. Oh, oh. This is the the Bears that fans feared. This wasn't a shoot-out loss. The Bears got crushed and the only non-Bears thing about it is that they scored 21 points on 3 offensive TDs.
Fans are feeling like the Bears are still the Bears. The media is seconding guessing everything the Bears do. Is Johnson over his head? Is Caleb a bust? The Bears have no defense (can't stop the run, opposing QBs come out each games very clean), can't protect their own QB and no run game themselves.
Week 3: Dallas Cowboys at Chicago Bears (1-2)
Dallas comes into the game feeling good at 1-1 with their offense running as their fans hoped. I'm sure they were looking forward to coming to a game against a team that have given buckets of points and can't pressure the QB.
Instead, the Bears came out with a convincing 31-14 win that included shutting out the Cowboys in the second half. Bears fans were happy but also knows that the team does give them a nugget or two per season so they have
Week 4: Chicago Bears at Las Vegas Raiders (2-2)
Even by week 4, the Raider was not considered a good team but the Bears was only able to keep the game close. Entering half time trailing 9-14 only after a third field with 53 seconds before the half, this was classic Bears.
The teams traded TDs in the third quarter which put the score at 16-21 and continued to trail 19-24 with 6:45 to go in the 4th. The Bears took the lead with 1:34 remaining, but as familiar to most fans, their opponents marched down to field goal range. Fans saw this happen plenty of time from both sides. Either their opponents win the game on a field goal or the Bears will lose the game on missing or blocked field goals (per how they lost the previous year on consecutive weeks -- one being to the Packers).
But something very un-Bears-like happened this time. The Bears blocked the field goal and preserved the 25-24 win. Alright, alright, Bears fans can be on the positive side of this show for a week!
Bye Week
The Bears went into the bye week at 2-2 with lots of questions, but nobody thought there was anything special to this season.
Week 6: Chicago Bears at Washington Commanders (3-2)
Finally it is time to play the team that started the Bears on the 10-games downward spiral from last year. For Bears fans this wasn't any other game. This was necessary to start shedding the ghost of last season and beyond. The Bears jumped to a 13-0 lead and then to 16-10, but in the 3rd quarter the Commanders took the 17-16 lead. The Bears's offense with a good drive that resulted in a BLOCKED field goal.
The Commanders added another TD at the start of the fourth quarter for a 16-24 lead. The Bears responded with a quick TD of their own with a big Caleb to Swift play. The 2pt conversion failed so the Bears continued to trail 22-24 with 10:26 to go. With 3:07 minutes to go, the Commanders fumbled a hand-off that was recovered by the Bears at the 44 yard line. Relying mostly on the run, Caleb took the Bears down the field for a 38 yard FG attempt. With their primary kicker out, Jake Moody, who just joined the team this week and was activated from the practice squad the same day, kicked the game winning field goal as time expired. This is the same Jake Moody that the 49er's released because he missed big pressure kicks for them that came through in the wet and raining weather to seal the Bears' second comeback victory when trailing in the 4th quarter.
Week 7 New Orleans Saints at Chicago Bears (4-2)
The Saints visited the Bears for Week 7 resulting in a 26-14 win and a 4 game win streak. The Saints were at the bottom of the standings at 1-6 so the Bears was expected to win this game at home. During this win streak, the Bears have been getting turn-overs even though the overall defense still felt weak having given up plays while playing the bend-but-don't-break philosophy of defense. The Bears run game has started establishing itself and the o-line has been protecting Caleb. In this particular game, Caleb acknowledged he didn't play well but the overall team game was good and the Bears found themselves at 4-2 after starting 0-2.
Week 8 Chicago Bears at Baltimore Ravens (4-3)
The Baltimore Ravens came to Soldier Field on a 4-game losing streak and a backup QB. Despite their record, the Ravens are still a respected team so fans felt it would be a good time to take a measure of where the Bears are. The Bears lost 16-30 so yeah, same 'ol Bears...
Week 9 Chicago Bears at Cincinnati Bengals (5-3)
A much needed bounce-back game, the Bears kept it close going into half time trailing 17-20 even though the Bengals started with a kickoff return TD and gave up another big TD play from backup QB Joe Flacco. The Bears missed a field goal near the end of the half that would've tied the game, but came out hot in the second half. With just 4:53 left in the game, the Bears were up two TDs at 41-27, but over the course of around 4 minutes the Bengals were able to score 15 points (1 TD, 1 TD + 2pt conversion) to take the lead with 54 seconds remaining. We're looking at a monumental collapse before our eyes and it brings back that there's no lead big enough for the Bears to lose.
Caleb took the field to lead a 4 plays 72 yard game winning drive in under a minute ending with a 58 yard TD pass to Colston Loveland. This play and comeback was what everyone talks about and remembers but it needs to be remembered that the Bears was on the verge of a major collapse but Caleb settled the offense to go for a game winning drive which goes against the franchise history.
The start of the Cardiac Bears.
Week 10 New York Giants at Chicago Bears (6-3)
The Giants were a team in disarray at 2-7 but was able to get big plays and led 20-10 with 10:19 left in the 4th quarter. By this time, the Bears were developing a reputation for getting turn-overs (even as their bend-don't-break style has given up big plays), offense able to make big plays, they have a run game and they are winning games because of Caleb Williams. That said, the Bears haven't come back from being down 10 points in the 4th since 2021.
With 3:56 left, Caleb throws a TD pass to Rome Odonze to cut the lead to 3. The defense played big with a sack to get the ball back to the offense. Caleb took 1:06 to score a touchdown in 4 plays for 53 yards. The defense sealed the victory and the Bears found themselves with another comeback win in the 4th quarter.
Week 11 Chicago Bears at Minnesota Vikings (7-3)
A rematch from week 1 had the Bears leading 16-3 going into the 4th quarter, but the Vikings scored 2 TDs in the 4th quarter to go up 16-17 with 50 seconds left. On the ensuing kick-off, the special teams had a huge return. Although Carlos Santos had missed a 45 yard FG earlier, he nails the 44 yard FG as time expires to give the Bears another come from behind win.
At this point, the way the Bears are winning is starting to look special. Unlike previous teams, this team does make big plays regularly especially in the 4th quarter. This is coming from the air and on the ground. While the defense is still suspected to play a whole game, they are able to somehow come up with turn-overs. There is a confidence by the players AND the fans that the Bears are never out of the game. The Bears are winning in what some might say in miraculous ways. In this game, the Bears got that one special team right as they needed it most and won the game in 50 seconds.
This game was Caleb Williams 5th fourth quarter comeback win of the season.
Week 12 Pittsburgh Steelers at Chicago Bears (8-3)
With growing confidence in the team, Bears fans were hoping that Aaron Rodgers will be the QB for the Steelers as they visited Soldier Fields. Rodgers, as the QB for the Packers, had dominated the Bears and he wasn't shy about telling the city of Chicago, the fans and Bears that he "owned the Bears." (Leave it on the field, Rodgers. Try to stay classy if you can.) Rodgers ended up not playing due to an injury. The final score was Bear's 28-31 win and an 8-3 record.
Week 13 Chicago Bears at Philadelphia Eagles (9-3)
Doubters of the Bears were aplenty still despite winning 8 out of their 10 previous games. People pointed out that the Bear's schedule was soft or that they were just "lucky" to have pulled out so many wins. Finally, they said, the defending Superbowl Champions will show the world that the Bears are pretenders and not contenders.
Instead, the Bears ran the ball down the Eagles' throat with 2 players rushing over 100 yards and finishing with 281 total yards on the ground. The 24-15 win over the Eagles on Thanksgiving was convincing and put the Bears at 9-3 and atop of the NFC North.
Usually by now Bears fans have been looking towards the draft and not the NFC North standings.
Week 14 Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers (9-4)
While the world might have viewed the Eagles game as a benchmark for the Bears, Bears fans know that the true measure starts with beating the Packers. Although the win against the Packers in the last game of the 2024 season was satisfying, this is the first time the Ben Johnson Bears are facing the Packers.
The Packers were comfortably leading 3-14 going into the half and still had a 10 point 11-21 lead with 2:10 left in the third quarter. Unlike the Bears of old, this team fought back and tied the game up with 8:32 left in the fourth quarter. The Packers put up another TD with 4:28 left and Bears fans felt something they haven't felt in a long time (or ever?). They felt that Caleb was going to lead them to victory.
Caleb made big plays, went 60 yards and with 22 seconds faced a fourth-and-1. He took a shot at the end zone and was intercepted by the Packer's Nixon. The Packers celebrated and took over the NFC North. Packers fans were rejoicing and felt that all is right with the world now that they can look down on the Bears in the standings.
Week 15 Cleveland Browns at Chicago Bears (10-4)
Not letting themselves be let down, the Bears bounced back with a 31-3 win over the Browns.
Week 16 Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears (11-4)
Wanting revenge for the loss at Green Bay just two weeks ago, the Bears came out with almost no energy. The Bears were shutout at the half trailing 6-0 and although they managed a field goal and a fumble, the Packers added a touchdown and now trailed 13-6 going into the fourth quarter.
The Bears and Packers traded field goals and with 3:04 left the Bears were only able to manage a field goal and still trailed the Packers 16-9. Initial criticism on the field goal wasn't taking the FG but that the time it took to set it up took them a couple of seconds past the 2-minute warning and thus losing a critical time stoppage that the Bears needed for that slim chance to get the ball back before the game ends.
So, with 1:59 left the Bears had to try an on-side kick. If the Packers got the ball, the game was over. There wouldn't be enough time for the Bears to get the ball back. This is even too much to ask of the most optimistic of Bears fans, but these are the 2025 Cardiac Bears and they try every possession. With a 8% chance of getting the onside kick, the Bears somehow was able to do it and gave Caleb 1:56 to get at least 7 points.
Caleb drives the Bears down to the red zone brimming with multiple big throws and catches, but finds himself facing 4th and 4 with 28 seconds left. Not getting a first down meant the game was over. The Packers broke through the line and forced Caleb to back pedal, he found a receiver in the corner of the end zone for a TD. With the extra point, the Bears somehow manage to tie the game and send it into overtime.
Starting with the ball, the Packers made a huge play to get into Bears territory. On a big third-1 the Bears stopped the Packers. On the ensuing 4th-and-1, the Packers fumble and turn the ball over on downs. A few key plays brought the Bears to the Packers 45 and then Caleb went for the win with deep ball to DJ Moore who had Keishan Nixon draped all over him. Bears win and regain the top of the NFC North.
OT win over the Packers?!? Who are these Bears?!?
The Iceman legend really grew with this win and it brought the kind of game reaction from Packers fan that have been the hallmark of Bears fans for years.
Week 17 Chicago Bears at San Francisco 49ers. (11-5)
In a battle for the top seed in the NFC, the Bears went toe-to-toe with the Niners (Full Game). In another spectacular ending scenario and less than 2 minutes, Caleb Williams and his receivers made big plays especially with conversions on 4th downs to stay alive. A trick play at the goal line fell just short of the goal resulting in having to quickly rush the plan with 4 seconds on the clock for a final shot. Caleb showed the escape artist ability that he's been earning throughout this season but his final throw at the end zone fell short.
I'm sure many people thought that the Bears were going to win this one and the 49er's must've felt a sense of relief even though they didn't want to admit it with comments like "they earned the win."
Week 18 Detroit Lions at Chicago Bears (11-6)
After the Lions put up 52 on the Bears in week 2, this game ended with a Bears 19-16 loss to a 9-8 Lions team that was already eliminated from the playoffs. The Bears had secured the NFC North and will be the #2 seed in the playoffs.
This was a game that saw the Lions jump to a 16-0 lead by halftime and then see the Bears fight back to tie the game at 16-16 including completing 2 2-pt conversions. The Lion had the final possession and was able to win on a field goal with 1:41 remaining.
Playoffs Wildcard Round Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears (Win)
The Packers secure the 7th seed so that brought them to Soldier Field. The Packers had stated that they preferred to have fallen to the 7th seed and play the Bears. They got their wish.
The Packers dominated the Bears through three quarters before the Bears stormed back with yet another come from behind victory led by Caleb Williams. The famous 4th-and-8 showed Caleb facing a 4th down that would be the last play of the game unless he can convert. This played showed everything that made Caleb special: leadership under pressure, escaping from what would've been a sack by every other QB and making the big play.
This wasn't a typically comeback where the Bears got momentum and rode it to victory. In the middle of their comeback, the Packers actually scored a TD. It could've been the momentum killer that ended many comebacks, but this Bears team were not deterred. They just kept come back until they took the lead and won.
It's hard to express the euphoria of Bears fans seeing their team beating the rival AND eliminating them from the playoffs.
Playoffs Divisional Round Chicago Bears at Los Angeles Rams
Recap
- Top 10 Offensive Plays (team compilation). The defense also had some amazing take-aways this year.
- The NFL had 5 Bears play in their top 20 plays of the seasons including the #1.
- Multiple Bears games were in the top games of the season.
- NFL awarded DJ Moore's overtime TD catch against the Packers in week 17 the NFL Moment of the Year.
