How many times have Chicago Bears fans either heard or uttered, "It's just the same old Bears" throughout the years? That can't be said anymore.
No one would agree with that assessment after the Bears got a season-defining 31-28 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 12. Despite all the injuries to the defense and the adversity this Chicago team faced, they pulled out the biggest win of the season.
After the game, one of the key factors to the win, Bears defensive end Montez Sweat, with his two sacks in the game, had the perfect seven words to say that everyone in the Windy City will be copying.
“It’s just not the same old Bears.”
No, this isn't the same Chicago Bears team from the past
A game like the Steelers showdown would have been a disaster during the Matt Eberflus era, when he was head coach. How many close games did the Bears blow in those three years with Eberflus as the head coach?
This Bears team is completely different. They have thrived on close matchups, as Chicago won the sixth game this season, a one-possession contest, proving that this team can be clutch when it matters most.
Typically, it's been Bears quarterback Caleb Williams leading the comeback wins as he has done it five times. This time, it was the banged-up defense that stepped up when they needed to the most to preserve the victory.
Credit must be given to Bears head coach Ben Johnson, who has transformed the franchise from a mindset of losing games to one of feeling they can win any game. Leading a run that includes winning eight of their last nine games will certainly help with that.
Read more: Ben Johnson (again) just did something with Bears that Matt Eberflus never did
This is just one win, though, and the Bears, at 8-3, have to keep winning if they want to make the postseason. They have a tough Black Friday matchup with the also 8-3 Philadelphia Eagles, which will challenge them to prove they can beat the good teams once again.