For a Chicago franchise that has spent generations being defined by defense, Rich Eisen just said the quiet part out loud: the Bears are fun to watch on offense.
"Great game. Great to see him back.
The league's better for him balling out. The Bears are a phenomenal team to watch because of their offense, words I don't think I've ever said out loud.
And we'll see what happens how this operates in the cold weather. But they can also run it.
My God, Roschon Johnson was running all over the place and coming out of the backfield. They're deep, and they're playable."
That kind of praise hits differently in Chicago. The Bears’ identity has long been tied to the standard set by the 1985 team, and even their return to the Super Bowl under Lovie Smith came with a top five defense. That is the backdrop for Eisen’s comments: this is a fan base used to hearing about the other side of the ball.
The shift has come since Ben Johnson took over before the 2025 season. Chicago is being viewed through a new lens now, and Caleb Williams is a huge reason why. The old weekly debate over whether the Bears had finally found "the guy" at quarterback feels like it has given way to something more concrete.
Williams came back after missing three games while rehabbing a hamstring injury, and he didn’t ease in quietly. Against the Falcons, he went 30/36 for 305 yards and a touchdown. He is not leading the league in completion percentage among qualified quarterbacks, but the number still stands out because of his smaller sample size and his history of struggling with short passes.
Eisen also singled out Roschon Johnson, who led the Bears in Week 6 against Atlanta with 51 rushing yards on 13 carries and a touchdown, his first since 2024. That fits the larger picture too: Chicago currently has the most effective rushing game in the league, with Kenneth Walker having placed the Kansas City chiefs directly behind them.
The part of Eisen’s take that may matter most, though, is the one about the weather. Soldier field sits right on Lake Michigan, and when the temperatures drop, it can get nasty fast.
Chicago has always been built with the worst Sundays in mind, and that is why the cold-weather question looms as large as the compliment. The Bears already showed trouble in the rain in Week 2 against the Minnesota Vikings. Cold and snow can be a different animal entirely.
Thursday night is not January, but it is a step toward it. And if the Bears can keep getting quick decisions from Williams and steady yards from the run game, that is exactly the kind of formula Chicago will want when the elements start to turn.
In Other News...
Bears Win Felt Huge But Two Problems Should Worry Fans
The Bears got the kind of win that can steady a locker room, outlasting the Patriots 30-24 in a game that featured contributions all over the field. Kyler Gordon made his presence felt on defense with a sack and several tackles, DAndre Swift gave the offense a physical edge on the ground, and Caleb Williams was sharp enough in the fourth quarter to help close it out.
Still, the victory did not erase the stuff that can haunt a team later. Chicago was loose enough in spots to create some early frustration, and Rome Odunzes day summed up the range of emotions nicely, with one rough moment offset by a late play when the Bears needed it most. The result counts the same in the standings, but the sloppier stretches are the part the coaching staff will keep circling back to. [Read more 🡒]
Caleb Williams May Have Found What The Bears Needed Most
Caleb Williams is back from the hamstring injury, and through two starts he has given the Bears something they have been searching for all season: steadiness at quarterback. He has completed 75.4 percent of his passes for 613 yards and three touchdowns without an interception, while looking more comfortable operating from the pocket and showing the kind of ball security Chicago has lacked too often.
What has stood out just as much is the way Williams has changed his game since returning. He has dialed back his running, a sensible adjustment as he works around the injury, and the result has been a cleaner, more controlled version of the offense. For a Bears team still trying to find its identity, the bigger question now is whether this more efficient approach is a short-term fix or the start of something more lasting. [Read more 🡒]
Bears Win Showed Why Their Young Core Suddenly Feels Different
The Bears Week 7 win over the Patriots pushed them to 5-2, but the bigger takeaway was how many young players looked ready for the moment. Colston Loveland kept finding ways to matter, Dillon Thieneman added impact plays, and Kyler Gordon helped steady a defense that was still missing some familiar pieces. For a team that has spent plenty of time building toward this kind of depth, the victory felt like another reminder that the roster is starting to look different in a meaningful way.
Luther Burden was part of that shift too, providing one of the explosive plays that can change a game in a hurry, and the Bears got another important contribution from DMarco Jackson while he filled in for T.J. Edwards. Chicago did not just survive against New England with its established names carrying the load. It got real production from younger pieces across the lineup, which is the kind of development that can make a midseason win feel bigger than the standings suggest. [Read more 🡒]