The Chicago Bears are off to a 2-2 start on the season as they finish up the end of their bye week.
It has been an up-and-down season for the Bears with two consecutive losses to open the year. They have bounced back in a big way with two wins in a row entering the bye week.
Chicago has gotten a lot of help from players on the roster, but some have been more of a surprise than expected. The cases vary, including those that had a bad start to the year and got back on track, those that filled in for an injury, or those whose emergence happened quicker than expected.
Rome Odunze, WR
Most Bears fans expected Odunze to have a better second season in the NFL, but no one could have predicted the kind of breakout that he has had. He currently has 20 receptions for 296 yards and five touchdowns in four games. He has his eyes on breaking NFL records, and he certainly has the skills to do it as Caleb Williams' new number one receiver.
Noah Sewell, LB
T.J. Edwards's absence would have been felt regardless, but Sewell has undoubtedly done a tremendous job of softening the blow. Sewell is second on the team in tackles with 30 while adding two tackles for loss and one forced fumble in four games. Edwards appears to be on his way back for Week 6, but Sewell has earned more playing time on defense.
Tyrique Stevenson, CB
The first two games of the regular season for Stevenson were bad, like really bad. Hope was lost that with Jaylon Johnson out indefinitely due to his groin injury, things would get bad with Stevenson at CB1, but he has emerged as the team's top coverage corner in the last two games. This season, he has 19 tackles, five pass deflections, one tackle for loss, and one interception in four games. Things are starting to come together for the third-year corner.
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Cairo Santos, K
A lot of Bears fans were writing off Santos after the first game with his kickoff mistake and the 50-yard field goal miss in the fourth quarter against the Vikings, but he has bounced back nicely. Santos has made six of his seven field goals and has made all 11 of his extra points. Bringing in Jake Moody as competition certainly lit a fire under Santos to improve, and he has.