Hang the banner! The Bears absolutely decimated the Bills last week in their second preseason game, and many are already planning time off from work in February. The Bears had everything clicking on a night where the Bills played little to no starters and the Bears played theirs for a couple of possessions.
Obviously, it was only a preseason game, but this one just felt a little different. Caleb Williams looked poised and in control of the offense and the defense was flying around. The most encouraging part outside of Williams was the play of the rookies. Colston Loveland hauled in a couple of passes, Luke Newman got the start at left guard to give Thuney the night off, and Luther Burden was making plays everywhere, including some huge blocks.
While things are definitely trending in the right direction, no one should get too ahead of themselves when discussing the future of this season. The Bears are still in one of, if not the toughest, divisions in football.
Bleacher Report's Brad Gagnon dove into what teams have the best shots to go from worst to first this year, and safe to say Bears fans are not going to be happy with what he said about the team.
"Why they can: Sophomore No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams should be expected to make progress, especially with a totally revamped offensive line and the tutelage of new head coach Ben Johnson. On paper, the Bears have the ingredients in terms of talent and experience to win a division now.
Why they can't: They are in the wrong division, as the Lions might be the most talented team in the NFL, while the Packers and Vikings are also prime contenders coming off double-digit campaigns.
Prediction: A five-win team from 2024 improves significantly but also experiences some transitional road bumps and again finishes last in the mighty NFC North."
Do the Bears have any chance to flip the NFC North standings in 2025?
As Gagnon mentioned, Caleb Williams should be much improved this year, and the coaching staff should be overwhelmingly better. The additions made to the offensive line should pay dividends both in the run game and to the growth of Williams. On paper, the roster has the talent to compete with anyone.
However, unfortunately for the Bears, the NFC North looks to be just as good as it was last season. The Lions still have all the talent in the world, the Packers are always in the picture, and the Vikings have surrounded JJ McCarthy with a plethora of talent in hopes that he can be the guy. It is unlikely that the division will have two teams with 14+ wins again, but the race should be tight.
Read more: ESPN gives Bears fans best-case and worst-case scenarios for team in 2025
The Lions are the only team that should be heavily favored to win this division. After them, an argument can be made for any of the other three teams to finish second and chase a wild-card birth. The Bears should be a much better team in 2025, but might still be a season or two away from truly contending.