It was fair to assume the Chicago Bears would be better this season, but a 7-3 record and leading the NFC North with Thanksgiving in sight was on the unlikely end of possibilities. Of course, the offense has been markedly better, but head coach Ben Johnson knew he needed a strong defensive mind to run that side of the ball.
Dennis Allen has had to, and continues to have to, navigate around some notable injuries across the Bears' defense. And entering Week 12, Allen's unit is not exactly bringing back memories of the 1985 Bears' defense that pummeled opposing offenses into submission.
In terms of yards and points allowed, the Bears are in the bottom tier of the league right now. One area they have succeeded in, though, and it's a critical one, is third down.
Opponents are converting just 33.7 percent of their third down attempts against the Bears this season, the second-lowest rate in the league.
But there is another mark the Bears defense stands out in, and it's been a driving force of the team's success this season.
One stat absolutely stands out as the definition of the Bears' 2025 season
As Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report hunted for a stat that has defined this season for the Bears, this one had to have stood above the rest.
"Chicago Bears: Plus-16"
"The Bears' league-best turnover margin is plus-16 this season, and it's actually plus-18 since the team started 0-2. That combined with a tied-for-league-high five fourth-quarter comebacks explains why 7-3 Chicago is in the process of shocking the NFC North."
The Bears have registered a league-high 22 takeaways this season, with a league-high 15 interceptions. Entering Week 12, three of the top interceptors in the league (Kevin Byard, Tremaine Edmunds, Nahshon Wright) are Bears' defenders.
For comparison's sake, let's look at the Bears' takeaway total and turnover margin from the last two full seasons.
2024: 24 takeaways, +8 turnover margin
2023: 28 takeaways, +3 turnover margin
As unsustainable as it may seem to be, the looming returns of cornerbacks Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon can only help the Bears' defense sustain an average of more than two takeaways per game over the rest of the season.
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"Win the turnover battle" is an obvious formula for success week in and week out. With the defense taking the ball away like it is, and the offense taking care of the ball the way it has (six giveaways in 10 games), it might as well stand next to "Good, Better, Best" as the Bears' slogan for this season.