Dan Wiederer

For Caleb Williams and the Bears offense, ill-timed sloppiness remains the constant A day full of struggle left the Chicago Bears offense with a sobering reality check. Their rut may be deeper than they realized.

A costly INT. Two intentional grounding penalties. More operational sloppiness. Red zone hiccups. Only one TD drive across nine possessions.

Sunday was not Caleb Williams’ finest hour leading a sputtering Bears offense.

Bears can’t contain Ravens QB Tyler Huntley as their takeaway magic runs out Down two starters, the Bears defense didn't do enough to affect Lamar Jackson's backup as their takeaway streak — and win streak — ended.

With a basket of readymade excuses, the Bears’ defense didn’t choose any after Sunday’s loss. That group also didn’t make enough plays to secure win No. 5 … From ⁦‪Kevin Fishbain.

Chicago Bears Intel: Will early fourth-down hiccups temper Ben Johnson’s aggressiveness? The Bears hope to be an aggressive and productive fourth-down offense. But the early returns have lagged.

Chicago Bears Intel …

— What to make of the fourth down hiccups through six games.

— Are the stumbling Ravens one punch away from toppling?

— What’s next for Ozzy Trapilo?

Bears’ confidence building along with winning streak: ‘We know how good we can be’ As they strive to play their best football, the Bears believe they've found a special combination of energy, chemistry and purpose.

In a lot of ways, Sunday afternoon felt like an identity win for the Bears. From the continued takeaway surge to the punishing running game to the whole team’s success in resetting in a short week after an emotional win.

More from inside Halas Hall …

Are the Bears under a New Orleans spell? Recent history has not been kind vs. Saints Every time a game with the Saints seems like a springboard for the Bears, it has turned into a trapdoor.

December 2008.

The last time the Bears beat the Saints. Caleb Williams was 7. Ben Johnson was working as a software developer.

What a peculiar 8-game skid this has been.

Will Sunday reverse the voodoo?

'We found a (bleeping) way!': How another late rally energized the Bears

“Some people might shy away from the opportunity. Our mindset is ‘F—! How good is this?’”

Something significant seems to building for an arrow-up Bears team with a sense of direction, a passion-filled Type-A head coach and evidence of competitive grit.

www.nytimes.com/athletic/671...

How D’Andre Swift, Bears’ run game found their groove in win over Commanders Swift finally got going as the Bears' running back's 55-yard touchdown catch and 15-yard run to set up the winning field goal were clutch.

A play in disarray became a game-changing moment. And a breakout night from D’Andre Swift contributed to a potentially season-changing win.

⁦‪@kfishbain.bsky.social‬⁩ narrates the scene from Landover.

Introducing Jake Moody, the new Bears kicker and an unlikely Monday night hero With everything on the line Monday night, Moody knew focus and presence would be key on his game-deciding kick.

Amid the intense focus of an NFL season, players don’t go out of their way to meet the practice squad kicker. On Monday night, they were carrying him off the field.

*Hi. Jake Moody. Damn glad to meet you.*

What a moment. What a league.

WEEK 4 REVIEW

The unofficial Caleb Williams report card of his 45 called passing plays vs. Raiders

🌟— 1 play (star power)

👍🏼— 11 plays (very nice)

⭕️— 24 plays

👎🏼— 8 plays (substandard)

🤢— 1 play (gross)

(Includes three scrambles, two penalty “no plays” and two fumbles)

How can T.J. Edwards, Kyler Gordon help the run defense? Bears mailbag, Week 6 picks

— TJ Edwards’ return.
— What’s next for Austin Booker and Shemar Turner?
— The search for a running game.

⁦‪‬⁩@kfishbain.bsky.social has mail

📬🏈

www.nytimes.com/athletic/670...

Passion project: How Bears' Tyrique Stevenson has worked to improve after Hail Mary debacle

“The best thing I can do is learn to become more consistent, with a concentration that connects to everything I’m trying to achieve.”

After infamy came for him in 2024, Tyrique Stevenson has much more of his story to write.

ICYMI

www.nytimes.com/athletic/669...

Belief is building for the Chicago Bears — and it’s starting to show late in games For the 2025 Bears, a buildup of belief has become essential. The team's win in Las Vegas provided just that.

“Sometimes wins like that go a long way.”

For this version of the Bears, a buildup of belief has become essential. So what will a gritty finish in Vegas really mean going forward?

Bears’ Tyrique Stevenson is on a journey of self-improvement after Fail Mary Stevenson and the Bears are headed back to Washington, where they were embarrassed last October. He's learned a lot since then.

“He was vulnerable. Hurt. Devastated. Alone. But that’s how he should have felt. That all comes with it. You let down 52 other guys. You let down 20-some coaches. You let down one of the most passionate football fan bases in the world. That’s heavy s—.”

Bears’ Tyrique Stevenson is on a journey of self-improvement after Hail Mary debacle Stevenson and the Bears are headed back to Washington, where they were embarrassed last October. He's learned a lot since then.

Tyrique Stevenson’s passion remains his fuel. His background made him stronger. Fatherhood has provided added purpose.

Now, as his painful Hail Mary scars heal, Stevenson is trying like hell to raise his focus and become his best self.

DEEP DIVE:

Bears' bye week to-do list: Self-assessment, defining O-line roles, getting healthy

— A well-timed offensive reset at the bye.
— Questions remain at offensive tackle.
— Kyler Gordon itching to return plus other injuries worth keeping an eye on.

www.nytimes.com/athletic/667...

Bears leave Las Vegas with uplifting victory, feeling of good fortune The Bears knew they didn’t play their best game, but they made their luck and got help from an ace when it counted.

“In the city where your fortune is decided by the turn of a card, the roll of the dice, the spin of a wheel, the Chicago Bears showed even the hardest-luck folks can leave Vegas with a smile.”

✍️⁦‪ By: @jongreenberg.bsky.social

Why Ben Johnson believed in Caleb Williams and the Bears in the final moments Williams made plays in the clutch, and the Bears followed their head coach's belief as they pulled off a wild 25-24 victory.

Even with all his obvious competitive aggravation, Ben Johnson gave his team a sense of calm.

Even at the end of an afternoon of offensive struggle, Caleb Williams instilled belief.

By ⁦‪@kfishbain‬⁩

What a way to exit Las Vegas.

Bears magic trick: How Josh Blackwell’s blocked field goal saved the day in Vegas What an ending for the Bears in Sunday's thrilling win, with some Vegas magic right at the end that might make Criss Angel jealous.

You need to know more about Sunday’s game-winning blocked kick. You need to know more about Josh Blackwell.

Diving deeper on the Bears’ special team ace and the Vegas magic trick that would make Criss Angel jealous.

What Caleb Williams’ explosive game was — and wasn’t — for the Bears Bears fans know all too well that a quarterback performance can feel significant in the moment but ultimately mean little.

Caleb Williams was impressive Sunday, delivering an award-worthy, four-TD, hot dog-winning effort in a blowout win.

That performance …

WAS: Explosive, clean, a needed tension breaker

WASN’T: An arrival, perfect, the final exam

A comprehensive look:

Red flags: Caleb Williams, Bears offense must work to get back on the same page Growing pains may be inevitable for Williams and the offense, but Bears coaches won't institute a "full tolerance" on sloppiness.

All that pre-snap chaos from the Bears? QB1’s role in the cleanup?

“We can’t go to the next level until we’ve taken care of those basics. Ben has talked from the very beginning that the secret sauce in Detroit was not the trick plays and all that fun stuff; it was mastery of the fundamentals."

WEEK 1 REVIEW

Unofficial Caleb Williams report card of his 47 called passing plays vs. Vikings

🌟— 3 plays (star power)

👍— 12 plays (very nice)

⭕️ — 18 plays

👎— 9 plays (substandard)

🤢— 5 plays (gross)

(Includes 6 scrambles and 4 penalty “no plays”)

YouTube video by 670 The Score Bears need to make a lot of improvements after opening loss to Vikings | Take The North, Ep. 377

You need a rant on the Darnell Wright holding penalty and what it meant?

You want a Ben Johnson confession?

You want Caleb Williams’ review and patience timelines?

The Take The North pod has it all and MORE …

www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKKr...

“Here we go again” — or — “This is different”?

That fierce tug-of-war is back in Chicago for Week 2.

For the Bears, @kfishbain.bsky.social and I play a game of what exactly was that and what’s next?

www.nytimes.com/athletic/661...

Chicago Bears QB Caleb Williams’ accuracy goes awry after perfect start Williams had pinpoint precision to begin the 2025 season, then things fell apart and he missed receivers by a lot.

A fast and encouraging start. And then a frustrating fizzle.

@kfishbain.bsky.social goes deep on Caleb Williams' first night of 2025 ...

Ahead by 11 points with a legitimate chance to land a knockout punch, the Bears instead stumbled, swung wildly and somehow knocked themselves out. Then the Vikings dropped an anvil on them.

About last night ..

www.nytimes.com/athletic/661...

2025 season. Official arrival.

Caleb Williams’ growth is critical to the Bears. Here are 5 ways to evaluate him in 2025 As the NFL world micro-analyzes Williams' every move, team leaders will be monitoring his progress in a several categories.

Amid all the clamor about Caleb Williams, the key leaders at Halas Hall have some very specific criteria for their 2025 evaluation of the Bears’ QB1.

Let’s take a walk through a five-point checklist that will guide the assessment.

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Brian Flores vs. Ben Johnson: Why the Vikings-Bears MNF matchup is so fascinating How will the Minnesota defense, led by Flores, fare against "mastermind" Johnson and the Bears' new-look offense Monday night?

Ben Johnson vs. Brian Flores.

A fascinating chess match awaits Monday night at Soldier Field.

The Athletic’s Alec Lewis dives into the back-and-forth of two established play-callers trying to outwit one another.

Bears coach Ben Johnson is driven by his quest to entertain — and embarrass

For a coach so often lauded for showcasing the intelligence and problem-solving skills of Sherlock Holmes, Ben Johnson also has a *much* more savage side to him. Think Anton Chigurh from “No Country for Old Men.”

Inside the mind and m.o. of the Bears new coach.

www.nytimes.com/athletic/658...

What we’re seeing from the Bears: Ben Johnson’s impact, Caleb Williams’ improvement What have we seen from the Bears in training camp and the preseason? On the new head coach, the returning QB, the left tackle spot and more.

New from @kfishbain.bsky.social and I at The Athletic …

Week 1 observations on:

— Ben Johnson’s leadership
— Caleb Williams’ growth
— Uncertainty at left tackle
— Montez Sweat’s momentum
— A surprise revelation at WR