The Chicago Bears are starting to look like the Chicago Bears again - and that’s not just about wins and losses. It’s about identity.
For a franchise built on toughness, grit, and a punch-you-in-the-mouth style of football, the last 15 years have felt like a long detour into uncertainty. They chased the modern NFL dream - a quarterback-centric, pass-heavy offense - and in the process, lost the very thing that made them feared for generations.
Enter Ben Johnson.
From the moment he took the reins as head coach, Johnson made it crystal clear: the Bears were going to get back to being the most physical team on the field. Not just tough in soundbites or locker room speeches - but on tape, in the trenches, and in every snap.
That vision came to life in a big way during their win over the Cleveland Browns, a game that felt like more than just a check in the win column. It felt like a statement.
The tone was set early, and it was loud. On a trap run in the opening drive, right guard Jonah Jackson pulled with bad intentions and buried Cleveland’s first-round rookie, Mason Graham.
That’s not just a highlight-reel block - that’s a message. A veteran lineman taking a rising star and putting him in the dirt is the kind of moment that reverberates through both sidelines.
It tells your opponent: this is going to be a long, physical day.
And the Bears weren’t done. Just a minute later, tight end Colston Loveland delivered a perfectly timed chip block that sent All-Pro pass rusher Myles Garrett to the turf.
That’s not something you see every week. Garrett is one of the most dominant edge defenders in football, and Loveland - a rookie - just made him look human.
That’s not just scheme or technique. That’s attitude.
That’s the kind of physical football Johnson has been preaching since day one.
This is the Bears team that used to make opponents circle their matchup on the calendar with dread. The old saying in league circles was simple: when you played Chicago, you were either going to win the game or win the fight - but rarely both.
And right now, that edge is returning. The Bears might not win every week, but you’re going to feel it the next morning.
Cleveland felt it. Green Bay felt it last week, and they’ll get another dose Saturday night at Soldier Field.
Now, let’s be clear: physicality alone doesn’t win championships. Plenty of hard-hitting teams have come and gone without ever hoisting a Lombardi.
The key is marrying that physical style with discipline, execution, and smart football. That’s the formula.
That’s the balance. And while the Bears haven’t mastered it yet, you can see the pieces starting to click into place.
There are flashes - drives where the run game hums, the defense swarms, and the offensive line imposes its will. Those moments are starting to stack up.
And that’s where coaching comes in. Johnson and his staff are building something that isn’t just about this season - it’s about restoring a culture.
One that doesn’t flinch. One that doesn't get pushed around.
One that makes you earn every yard.
The Bears are still a work in progress. But if you're watching closely, you can see what’s coming. And it looks a lot like the old-school, no-nonsense football that made this franchise one of the most respected - and feared - in NFL history.