The Chicago Bears have pulled off turnarounds before - just ask anyone who remembers 2001, 2005, or 2018. But what’s unfolding in 2025 isn’t just another bounce-back season.
It’s something different. Something harder to explain.
And maybe, something even more impressive.
A year ago, this team was 5-12. Now?
They’re sitting at 9-3. That kind of jump is rare, sure - but not unheard of.
What is rare is how they’ve done it.
Let’s start with the numbers, because they tell a fascinating story. According to data from Pro Football Reference, the Bears’ current point differential is just +6.
That’s not a typo. Among 376 teams in NFL history that have started 9-3, only two had a worse point differential.
And yet, here Chicago is - tied for the third-best win rate in the league at .750.
That’s not usually how this works. Teams with slim margins like that don’t typically rack up wins at this pace.
In fact, statistically, most teams in this exact scenario would be under .500. So how are the Bears doing it?
Call it grit. Call it resilience.
Call it clutch. Whatever word you choose, the Bears are making a habit of winning close games.
They’re 4-1 in games decided by a field goal or less - a massive leap from last season’s 1-5 mark in those same situations. They’ve already logged five fourth-quarter comebacks this year.
That’s not just impressive - it’s the kind of thing that defines a season.
And maybe that’s why some people are still hesitant to buy in. Because on paper, the Bears don’t dominate.
They don’t blow teams out. But when the game’s on the line, they deliver.
And that’s something you can’t always measure in stats.
What makes this surge even more remarkable is that it’s happening under a brand-new coaching staff. Usually, a new regime needs time - time to install a system, time to bring in their guys, time to build a culture.
But first-year head coach Ben Johnson didn’t wait. He didn’t overhaul the roster.
He didn’t need to. Instead, he’s taken the pieces already in place and elevated them.
Veterans like D’Andre Swift, Darnell Wright, Kevin Byard, and Tremaine Edmunds are all playing some of the best football of their careers. That doesn’t happen by accident.
That’s coaching. That’s trust.
That’s a team buying in - fast.
And it’s not just the vets. The rookie class is stepping up in a big way.
Colston Loveland, Luther Burden, Ozzy Trapilo, and Kyle Monangai aren’t just filling gaps - they’re making plays. Big ones.
Week after week. That kind of production from first-year players usually signals a bright future.
For the Bears, it’s also fueling the present.
This wasn’t supposed to happen yet. If you asked around in August, most people would’ve pegged 2026 as the year Chicago might start to turn the corner. But here they are, ahead of schedule, right in the thick of the playoff picture.
Is this a Super Bowl team? Not quite.
Not yet. But the idea isn’t laughable anymore.
It’s not some far-off dream. It’s a conversation worth having - and that alone says a lot about how far this team has come.
The 2025 Bears aren’t dominating the league. They’re doing something harder: they’re finding ways to win when it matters most. And in the NFL, that’s often the difference between a good team and a great one.