Bears Have Special Ingredient Making Them Low-Key Super Bowl Contenders
In the shadow of the NFC’s louder narratives, the Chicago Bears are crafting a compelling case as Super Bowl contenders. At 8-3, they sit atop the NFC North, a mark that feels almost accidental amid the skepticism that trailed them into 2025. Yet here they are, with the league’s sixth-ranked scoring offense and a quarterback in Caleb Williams who’s flashing MVP-caliber poise in clutch moments. The ultimate spark for Chicago, however, has been a first-year head coach who’s not just scheming plays but reshaping the entire franchise’s pulse.
Ben Johnson arrived in Chicago on January 21, 2025, plucked from the Detroit Lions’ offensive coordinator throne where he’d engineered three straight top-five scoring attacks. The Bears, fresh off a dismal 5-12 slog under Matt Eberflus (fired midseason in 2024 after a 4-8 cratering) needed more than a reset.
The Bears’ offense craved invention, the kind Johnson peddled in Motown. Chicago’s general manager Ryan Poles didn’t hesitate, overhauling the offensive line with trades to give Johnson’s vision sturdy legs. What followed was no overnight miracle, but a deliberate build that has the Bears ranking fourth in yards per game (369.6) and converting third downs at a league-top-10 clip of 42.2 percent.
Certain analysts are acknowledging the Bears as a team not to sleep on, including CBS Sports’ Logan Ryan, who credited Johnson with the franchise turnaround.
Johnson’s fingerprints are everywhere, starting with his dual role as head coach and play-caller, a bold move that’s paid dividends. His schemes defy prediction, blending misdirection runs with sudden deep shots that keep secondaries guessing. “Ben mixes it up in ways that force you to defend everything,” Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio admitted this week, ahead of Friday’s Black Friday clash in Philadelphia.
But Johnson’s impact runs deeper than the whiteboard. He’s instilled a culture of unflinching accountability, where wins like the 31-28 thriller over Pittsburgh last Sunday (despite missing three top linebackers) become teachable moments rather than excuses. Postgame, he doled out game balls to unsung heroes like D’Marco Jackson, the first-time starter who orchestrated the huddle amid defensive injuries, preaching that victories demand a “village” effort.
Defensively, coordinator Dennis Allen has masked early-season warts (a 27th-ranked yards-allowed mark) with opportunistic stands, like Nahshon Wright’s pick-six in a narrow 27-24 loss to Minnesota.
The Bears’ Super Bowl odds sit at +7500, 17th in the league, per FOX Sports (a nod to their youth and the NFC’s gauntlet). ESPN’s Football Power Index pegs their playoff chances at 72 percent, with a divisional-round shot at 42 percent.
But Chicago’s trajectory screams undervalued. Johnson’s Bears don’t wow with flash; they win with preparation and belief, the kind that silenced doubters after an 0-2 start and propelled them past the Giants (24-20 comeback) and Raiders (25-24 nail-biter).
As Thanksgiving approaches, Chicago fans can savor a team that’s not just contending but evolving. If they navigate the Eagles and a soft late slate (including winnable tilts versus the Giants and Falcons), the Bears could snag the North crown and a top-three seed.