This 5-3 start for the Chicago Bears has been one that hasn't been seen with the team in a long time, as there is now hope for the postseason.
The same feeling was present last year when the team started 4-2, but ultimately crumbled under pressure, finishing 5-12 and losing 10 of their last 11 games. This season feels different, though, with a more disciplined team and all around better culture for the franchise.
That's going to be the biggest storyline, though, for the Bears: since this team is different, are they going to be playoff contenders in 2025? At least, that's the storyline ESPN's Bears reporter Courtney Cronin will be monitoring the rest of the year.
"Could the Bears be a playoff team? After a wild finish in Cincinnati, Chicago is 5-3 overall, tied with Detroit for second place in the NFC North and a half-game behind first-place Green Bay. The Bears have the Giants, Browns and Vikings in the next six weeks and could be further in the hunt for a wild-card spot if they come away with wins in those games. The rest of the Bears schedule is difficult (Green Bay twice, at Philadelphia and San Francisco), and their division might not lock up three spots again given the strength of the NFC West this year. But Chicago being contenders for the playoffs in Year 1 under Johnson makes for a must-see TV the next two months."
Can the Bears survive a gruesome schedule to close out 2025?
The biggest games for the Bears will be the ones they play against their division rivals. While winning five out of eight games is impressive, two of those three losses are against NFC North division opponents. They still have the Packers twice and the Lions and Vikings once each.
For Chicago to be in the playoff hunt, they will have to win at least three out of those four division games to be in the playoff hunt at the end of the season.. Without that, they can kiss any chances of making the playoffs goodbye.
The harsh reality is that the Bears have yet to beat a team with a winning record. That's a big problem if a team wants to be taken seriously in the postseason.
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Chicago has a chance to leave their mark on 2025. First, they must get it done against the New York Giants in Week 10 and then focus on the bumpy road ahead for the rest of the schedule.