The Chicago Bears came away with an impressive victory in Part I of their Super Bowl matchups, taking down the New England Patriots in Week 7.
Next up: the Seattle Seahawks on Monday Night Football in Week 8.
But, before we move onto Seattle, let's tackle some hot topics within this Bears team.
Now that the dust has settled a few days after the win, there's plenty to dig into.
Caleb Williams continues shutting down ridiculous narratives by the week
First, it was that Caleb Williams had an issue with his completion percentage. And, as it stands through Week 7, Williams is second, behind only Joe Burrow in that category (71.0 percent).
Next, and more ridiculous than anything to this point, Williams was labeled a "checkdown merchant" after the Bears' win over the Atlanta Falcons.
In the Bears' win over New England, Williams went on to complete eight passes of over 20 air yards, which tied a record for most in a game so far, this season.
We've covered this a bit, already, but Williams keeps receipts. He hears and sees it all. It fuels him.
What we saw against the Patriots -- outside of one single mistake being the late sack taken -- was one of the greatest displays of quarterback play Chicago has ever seen. Just take a look around social media lately. Those late throws by Williams are being talked about everywhere. Experts and analysts cannot get enough of them.
People will keep creating silly narratives around Williams, and he'll keep shutting them up. It's that simple.
Rome Odunze's redemption game could be exactly the spark he needed
By now, many of us know how Week 7 went for wide receiver Rome Odunze. It didn't start out on a positive note, as he dropped an easy touchdown on a play that also saw him get flagged for offensive pass interference.
The single play kept a narrative alive that's followed him all these time: will he ever live up to being that top-10 talent the Bears drafted him to be?
We've seen flashes. We've seen stretches of great football from him (see how he started the season last year). His athletic ability is still there. He's still got plenty of ceiling.
The thing with this Bears skill group is that it isn't just Odunze. He's got to compete with Luther Burden III and Colston Loveland for pieces of the pie, and that's a good problem to have.
The way he bounced back with those crucial catches in the fourth quarter, against the Patriots, could've been exactly what he needed. Williams clearly has trust in Odunze and isn't going away from him. We know that to be true, especially based on the mic'd videos that came out after the game. He and Odunze still have that strong relationship and trust.
Going forward, it'd be the best-case scenario for Odunze to use this game of redemption to truly take a positive step. If he can blossom into the jump-ball mercenary he looked like coming out of college and be yet another security blanket for Williams in crucial situations, this offense is only going to flourish even more.
Sam Roush will be a hot-button topic, until he's not, after Cole Kmet's injury
When Cole Kmet was lost for the season against the Patriots, the immediate response by most Bears fans was something like this:
"Oh, no. Sam Roush."
Yes, the rookie will be thrust into the spotlight now. Ben Johnson has no choice. Roush is going to have to be on the field a whole lot more, now, with Kmet being sidelined.
The Bears also have Stephen Carlson and Qadir Ismail on the practice squad, with the former being the likely call-up. Hayden Large is still on injured reserve as well, and he impressed during the summer.
But the focus will be on Roush, the third-round rookie who has largely disappointed over the first half of the season. Pro Football Focus has him credited with just one drop, but Bears fans have seen at least two to this point.
That's not even the biggest knock on him, so far, though. Roush just hasn't looked like he knows what he's doing.
Whether it be whiffing on multiple blocks so far or not even knowing where to go after he catches the football (i.e., following your blockers), Roush has looked, well, unqualified. He hasn't looked ready.
Now, it's time for him to grow up in a hurry. The Bears are going to use multiple tight ends. That's not going away. So, he's going to be under a microscope until he starts making positive plays.
It's time to confront an unfortunate Jaylon Johnson reality
For Bears fans who defended Jaylon Johnson last year, it's getting harder and harder to offer any defense of what we're watching this season.
It makes sense to give him a pass after last season, after dealing with the soft tissue injuries he had. But now, a full year later, Johnson should be looking healthy.
Heck, for all we knew, he is healthy. Ben Johnson and Dennis Allen sang his praises during training camp and the preseason, leading Bears fans to think he might just be back to the player he once was.
That hasn't been the case.
Johnson is allowing an average of 17.3 yards per reception; he's been credited with five missed tackles per PFF (spoiler: that number is on the low end) and currently ranks 98th out of 103 qualifying corners in coverage grade.
Let's assume Johnson is, indeed, healthy.
This is who he is at this stage in his career. Johnson is a below-average starter. He cannot be trusted any longer. He's getting blown by on a regular basis. When he's running, Johnson looks like a linebacker -- not a cornerback.
The Bears have a serious problem at cornerback, whether it's Johnson or Tyrique Stevenson we're talking about, which leads us to our next topic.
Does Ryan Poles prioritize cornerback or defensive line at the trade deadline?
At the moment, the problems at cornerback look far worse than the Bears' need for help up front. Whether we're talking about a defensive tackle like DeForest Buckner or a pure pass rusher like Khalil Mack, either one would be a welcome addition to the defense.
Chicago's front has actually gotten by without Dayo Odeyingbo and Montez Sweat in recent weeks. You can credit Dennis Allen's blitzing for that fact -- which includes a heavy dose of Kyler Gordon.
The Bears have been able to get pressure. It's been a pleasant surprise.
But the cornerback room is alarming. Not only is Johnson a shell of himself, but Stevenson has played poorly for the vast majority of this year as well. The Bears have recently placed rookie Malik Muhammad outside in place of Stevenson.
And Muhammad has performed well.
Thankfully, Gordon is back and Muhammad can afford to slide outside.
But, the issue still remains: Johnson is a massive liability.
Do the Bears try to go after players like Zyon McCollum (Bucs), Riq Woolen (Eagles) or Kristian Fulton (Chiefs)?
I might argue Poles should go after a cornerback over any help up front, strictly because the big pass plays are still being had by opposing offenses. The Bears are allowing over five explosive pass plays per game, through seven weeks.
The Bears need Kyle Monangai like they need oxygen
The Bears have gone 2-1 in their last three games, all without Kyle Monangai.
In three games without Monangai, the Bears' rushing attack has fought for every inch; harder than they would've had to fight with him on the field. They've averaged 98.3 rushing yards in a trio of games without Monangai.
Over the first four weeks, all of which had Monangai on the field, the Bears averaged over 196 rushing yards per game.
Do we think that's a coincidence? Absolutely not.
This week, it will be worth watching the practice and injury reports, as fans are hoping to see Monangai back from injury. He's been out, dealing with toe and thumb injuries, and this offense has missed him dearly.
Read more: Adam Schefter hints a Bears, Khalil Mack trade is already in the works
It's a different offense with Monangai out there. Nobody can replicate what he brings to this team, and that's been perfectly apparent in recent weeks.
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