Playoffs? Don’t Laugh: Here’s why the Bears might be for real

Stephen Sylvanie - USA Today Sports

Dustin Riese · Senior Writer · 3 hours ago

There are always concerns when a team has an early bye week, and that will be the case for the Bears, who will now have 13 straight games without a Bye. That is a tall task to ask in a sport as physical as the NFL is, but it will be up to the Bears to make it through a strange season and push toward the playoffs.

I know what most of you are thinking. Playoffs? Are we actually going to talk about playoffs? While that may not be directly the case, this team is sitting at 2-2, and with several winnable games left on the schedule, there is reason to believe that a playoff berth is still possible this season.

A lot of that hinges on Ben Johnson and his ability to keep this team buying into his system, but from all accounts, that is the case, as his demand for attention to detail is really paying off. After starting the season 0-2 with two ugly losses, the Bears have rallied for two straight wins, including a dramatic win on the road heading into the Bye.

What stands out about that win was the way the Bears won, as Josh Blackwell blocked what would have been a game-winning field goal to send the Bears to 1-3. That is a game this team hasn't won in seasons past, so to see it happen this early has many feeling that things are different this season.

Knowing the improvement they have seen from one game to the next and a series of games, the Bears should win in the near future. It's never too early to start believing in what could be coming for this team.

Here are three reasons to believe in the Bears becoming a playoff team by season's end:

Bears are getting several defenders back from injury

One of the most significant concerns throughout the first four weeks has been the massive influx of injuries on the defensive side of the ball. From Jaylon Johnson to T.J. Edwards, the Bears have seen several of their key defenders miss time in the early part of the season, and that does take a toll on your organization.

However, there is good news on the horizon, as the Bears expect to have several of their injured players back after the Bye, with the exception of Johnson, who could be lost for the season. Any additional help is beneficial, and the Bears' defense has stepped up over the past two weeks to turn the corner as a unit. Next up for them is to take that defense to the next level, and the addition of some of their banged-up guys is going to help with that.

The offense continues to score despite lacking key pieces

When the Bears hired Johnson this offseason, the vision was for Chicago to become an offensively gifted team, knowing his track record with Detroit. Let's be clear, the Bears aren't the same team as the Lions, but they do have plenty of offensive pieces to score points, which is something they have struggled to do in recent seasons.

Through four games, the Bears' offense hasn't lived up to the billing of an explosive offense per se, but they have shown significant improvement each week. Part of the reason for their struggles has been the lack of a running game, and DJ Moore has given them very minimal production through four weeks.

At some point, that will change, especially on Moore's side, as he has been the team's No. 1 option since arriving in Chicago just over two seasons ago. Once he gets going, the passing game will really start to open up, and should the Bears get any form of a running game to complement that, it will be one of the biggest keys to their overall success on the field.

Caleb Williams continues to show growth

Throughout training camp, all the talk centered on Johnson coming to Chicago and having the mindset to turn around the culture completely. Not only has he done that thus far, but it hasn't always been easy, as the Bears found out firsthand what happens when you mess up in practice.

All it took was for Williams and the offense to mess up in the early part of training camp for the culture change to take shape, as Johnson didn't hesitate to pull Williams and the first-string offense from practice. It's that type of accountability that has been lacking in Chicago, and from all accounts, it is a breath of fresh air among the players.

Since then, things have started to come together as Williams is slowly becoming the franchise quarterback the Bears thought he could be. Coming off a strong rookie season, the pressure was on Williams to take his game to new heights this season, and so far, he has done that.

He has been one of the more consistent passers in the NFL this season, and, apart from one big game by Jared Goff, he has been the best quarterback in the NFC North. Johnson deserves a ton of credit for that, as he continues to put Williams in great positions to succeed, and you're finally starting to see the growth he needed to show to give fans confidence in what lies ahead.