The Chicago Bears leaned into their ground game and came away with a gritty 24-15 win over the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 13 - and the formula was as old-school as it gets: run the ball, control the clock, and wear the defense down.
D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai both cracked the 100-yard mark on the ground, each punching in a rushing touchdown. As a team, the Bears piled up 281 rushing yards, a number that not only tells the story of the game but also signals just how much confidence this coaching staff has in its backfield - and how much they needed it on a day when the passing attack struggled to find its rhythm.
Quarterback Caleb Williams had a tougher outing through the air. The second-year signal-caller finished 17-of-36 for 154 yards, with one touchdown and one interception.
His lone scoring pass came in the fourth quarter - a 28-yard strike to tight end Cole Kmet that gave Chicago a 24-14 lead with just over six minutes left. That throw was a reminder of the arm talent and field vision that made Williams such a coveted prospect.
But the rest of the afternoon showed there’s still work to be done.
Head coach Ben Johnson broke down a couple of key misses from Williams that could’ve changed the complexion of the game earlier.
The first came in the red zone, two plays before Swift’s touchdown run. Williams rolled right on a designed keeper but quickly bailed on the front-side read.
That’s when he spotted Olamide Zaccheaus running what Johnson called a “hero post” - a backside route that’s rarely thrown, typically reserved for preseason reps or desperation heaves. But Zaccheaus was open, and Williams took the shot.
The ball just missed.
“He happened to find it, it was open, and we just barely missed that thing,” Johnson said. “So that was that one.”
The second miss came on the next drive. With the Bears facing second-and-10 from the Eagles’ 12-yard line, Williams had Rome Odunze working on the backside of the concept.
Again, the front-side reads didn’t develop, so Williams worked through his progression and saw Odunze flash open. He pulled the trigger - but the throw came up short.
“Rome ran a great route,” Johnson said. “Caleb was working through his progression… and as he was getting back to his second and third read, he ended up seeing Rome pop and just left it a little bit short.”
While neither play resulted in points, Johnson saw positives in the process. Williams wasn’t locking onto primary reads - he was scanning the field, recognizing coverage, and trying to make plays outside the structure.
That’s the kind of growth you want to see from a young quarterback. But recognition is only half the battle.
Execution has to follow.
The touchdown to Kmet was a perfect example of what Williams is capable of when everything clicks. It wasn’t a primary read either - but he saw the opening, trusted his eyes, and delivered a strike. That’s the next step for this Bears offense: turning near-misses into touchdowns, and capitalizing on every opportunity that presents itself.
For now, the run game is carrying the load - and doing it well. But if Williams can start connecting on those deeper reads with consistency, this offense could shift into another gear entirely.