You can Count on the Bears to be the Bears

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) walks to the field before the Bears play the Minnesota Vikings at Soldier Field on Monday, Sept. 8, 2025, in Chicago. (PC: Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune/TNS)

The offseason gave Bears fans a lot to be excited about. A beefed-up offensive line to protect their 2024 first overall pick Caleb Williams at quarterback, a bunch of offensive weapons acquired in the draft, and a mastermind of a head coach in former Detroit Lions’ offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. On paper, this Bears team was, and still is, the best it has been in years.

The Bears’ August preseason games ended with a record of two wins, no losses, and one tie, displaying the roster’s depth against other teams’ backups. Going into Week 1 there was hope for a change in Chicago. Despite being in the toughest division in football, the NFC North, there were a lot of questions surrounding the other teams.

In the Monday night game versus the Vikings, the Bears started off strong. Caleb Williams, now in his second year, looked poised and comfortable making plays in the pocket and utilizing his legs for rushing. Williams himself found the endzone in the Bears’ first possession of the game. The rest of the first half showcased the Bears’ defensive strength as they held the Vikings to zero touchdowns and only two field goals. The score at the half was 10-6 with the Bears in clear control of the game.

Vikings starting quarterback JJ McCarthy began finding his stride late in the third quarter and into the fourth. Despite being in the same 2024 draft class as Williams, McCarthy missed the entirety of his 2024-2025 rookie season and could not start even a single game. McCarthy led the Vikings to 21 unanswered points (three touchdowns) in the fourth quarter, the only rookie quarterback in NFL history to do so. The Bears managed another touchdown with two minutes left in the game but could not get into field goal range and tie the game.

The Bears lost 27-24, disappointing fans immensely. The team are no strangers to choking and inefficient quarterback play, but this loss felt different. It really seemed like they had done all they could to restructure the team in the offseason and the team showed flashes of greatness throughout the first half of the game.

Week 2’s Bears versus Lions game showcased more of the same. However, the Bears offense showed some noticeable promise. Second-year first round receiver Rome Odunze had a breakout game with 128 yards and 2 touchdowns and Williams looked decent a portion of the game.

The Bear’s defense showed much need for improvement, letting up 52 points for a total score of 52-21.

While there is still definite hope for overall improvement in the rest of the season, the Bears will always be the Bears.