The Ben Johnson effect is real. After a disappointing 0-2 start to the season, the Chicago Bears have won their past four games, and they are looking so much better. They’re the only team to score at least 21 points in every game this season. The defense has also been outstanding, recording 2.67 takeaways per game, the most in the NFL. They have a total of 16 on the season, with 15 of them coming from the past four games. The run game has also started to get a lot better. Ben Johnson has completely turned this season around, and fans are very excited to see how far this team can go.
It started with a 31-14 win over the Cowboys at home. This was Caleb Williams’ best game of the season so far, as he threw for 298 yards and 4 touchdowns. The defense had 4 takeaways, and linebacker Tremaine Edmunds had 2 interceptions. The highlight of the game was a 65-yard touchdown by Luther Burden III on a flea-flicker pass, where Caleb Williams gave the ball to D’Andre Swift, he threw it back, and then Caleb launched it downfield to Burden for the touchdown. This was Luther’s first touchdown in the NFL. It was an amazing game overall for Chicago, and fans finally felt happy.
Next, the Bears traveled to Las Vegas and beat the Raiders 25-24. Once again, the defense dominated with 3 interceptions, 2 from Kevin Byard III, and also a fumble recovery. The game went back and forth, and Chicago had to overcome Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty and his 138 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns. After being down 24-19 in the fourth quarter, running back D’Andre Swift got a 2-yard touchdown run to take a one-point lead with 1:34 left in the game. Las Vegas then proceeded to go down the field and set up a 54-yard potential game-winning field goal, but it was blocked by Josh Blackwell, and the Bears had won. It definitely wasn’t the prettiest win, but they got the job done and secured a 2-2 record heading into their bye week.
After 15 days, the Bears played the Washington Commanders on Monday Night Football in a rematch game after they won last year on a Hail Mary. This time, Chicago got the game-winning play, as backup kicker Jake Moody drilled a 38-yard field goal to get the second straight 25-24 win. This was his first game with the Bears, and he made the most of it as he had 4 field goals on the night. After being cut by the 49ers earlier in the season due to his inconsistency, he stepped up and delivered the game-winning score. Chicago had to overcome more struggles in this game, including some controversial penalties that hurt them badly. Nevertheless, they got the job done once again, as the defense got another 3 takeaways. D’Andre Swift also had a great game with 175 total yards and a huge 55-yard touchdown catch in the fourth quarter. The way the Bears were able to pull out a win was very impressive, and it showed how Ben Johnson has transformed this team.
Finally, the Bears traveled back home and got a nice 26-14 win over the New Orleans Saints. Once again, the defense shone with 3 interceptions and a fumble recovery. The running game took over as D’Andre Swift and rookie Kyle Monangai combined for 205 rushing yards, and each of them got a touchdown. Chicago jumped out to a 20-0 lead in the first half, and they looked great for most of the game. Jake Moody had another great game, going 4/4 on field goals in place of Cairo Santos. This got them 4 straight wins for the first time since 2018, and the vibes are very high in Chicago.
Up next, the Bears head to Baltimore to take on the Ravens. The big story of this game will be whether or not Ravens star quarterback Lamar Jackson will play, but as of October 24th, it looks like he will. Even though the Ravens are 1-5, this will be the toughest game of the year for the Bears if Jackson does play. The keys to this game are getting several takeaways, and if the run game can get another great game. If Chicago wins, people will start to consider them a potential playoff team. Ben Johnson has changed the culture of this team, and they are looking dangerous going into several winnable games.
