It wasn't as long a road to the top of the mountain as the Chicago Bears thought it would be, as they were able to win the NFC North in head coach Ben Johnson's first season.
The Baltimore Ravens made sure of that as they took down the Green Bay Packers 41-24. Baltimore's win not only kept their slim playoff hopes alive, but also clinched the NFC North for the Bears for the first time since 2018.
No one could have imagined this Bears team that was just 5-12 a season ago would make this kind of turnaround. This is all thanks to Johnson's work as he commanded the ship for the first time this season.
Johnson backed up his talk in the offseason
Many were laughing at Johnson for his talk about beating the Packers twice a year and his hope of bringing a title home to Chicago. While many in the media were big fans of the Johnson hire in Chicago, no one predicted the Bears would go very far this season.
It was clear from the beginning of the offseason that this Bears team was different. Johnson and Bears general manager Ryan Poles went to work on rebuilding the offensive line, which now had four new starters who weren't on the team in 2024. They added younger pass targets through the NFL Draft with Colston Loveland and Luther Burden III.
Chicago started 0-2, with many expecting them to fall apart and have another below-average season. All of a sudden, the Bears stormed to win 11 of their last 13 games to clinch their first playoff spot in five years and division title in seven years.
This was all thanks to the Bears' top-five rushing attack, a defense that leads the NFL in turnovers, and Caleb Williams' six fourth quarter/overtime comebacks. The 2025 Bears are built much differently from the other teams that have come through the Windy City.
Now the Bears are focused on holding strong for the number two seed in the NFC. One win against either the San Francisco 49ers or the Detroit Lions will get the job done for the Bears. They still have a chance to win the number one seed, but they need some help: the Seahawks and Rams losing as well.
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Chicago seems to be set up for success in the postseason and could make a legit Super Bowl run if the talent around them is ready to go. This isn't the same old Bears, as the new trend for this franchise is winning.