The Chicago Bears are rolling along nicely without their No. 1 pick. Caleb Williams sits on the sideline with a hamstring injury, yet the team just beat the New York Jets. They have won two games in a row since he went down. This is not a fluke. It is a statement that the entire roster can win even when the star QB is out.
The Run Game Carries the Load
The offense is not pretty, but it works. The Bears rushed for 232 yards against the Jets. They now lead the NFL with 785 rushing yards on 159 attempts. Since 1976, no other pair of running backs has seen both players accumulate 300 or more yards in the opening four weeks, a feat achieved by Kyle Monangai and D’Andre Swift. That is a historic stat.
Ben Johnson knows what he has. “We are playing pretty good complementary football, something that we got to do each and every week to be at our best,” Johnson said. The team controls the clock, which keeps the defense fresh. This simple plan is crushing opponents.
Defense Holds the Line
The defense was a major worry before the season started. Now it is the best unit in the league. Three consecutive games have seen the Bears concede fewer than 13 points. They have not done this since 2005. They sacked Geno Smith three times and gave up just 157 yards in the last win.
Johnson sees the poise. “We had two sudden changes yesterday and they didn’t bat an eye,” he said. The group held the opponent to just two field goals after big plays. That kind of discipline wins games in the fourth quarter.
Williams Timeline and the Road Ahead
Head coach Ben Johnson confirmed that Tyson Bagent will start again this Sunday against the Green Bay Packers. Williams will not practice this week. Johnson said, “He’s doing a great job with his rehab,” per reports. He added, “He’s not going to be there this week for us, but we think it’s still a week-to-week deal for us.”
