Last season, the Chicago Bears' offense was about as good as it could have been, and it could be argued that it carried the team throughout the season.
The Bears were ranked sixth in the NFL in total offense with 369.2 yards per game and were ninth in the NFL in scoring with 25.9 points per game. It was the defense that held them back as they were 29th in total defense, leaving the offense to pick up the slack, but that wasn't always the case.
Senior NFL researcher Tony Holzman-Escareno shared an interesting stat on the starting quarterbacks and the points per game they scored in losses during the 2025 campaign. Bears quarterback Caleb Williams was third on the list for most points per game in losses, as the team averaged 22.7 points per game in their six losses.
Caleb Williams and the Bears were not the problem in 2025
There were some tough moments last season, as the Bears had to play from behind multiple times, with some of the blame on the offense's slow starts. Williams had to bring his team back and lead comeback wins seven times in the regular season and postseason, an NFL record.
It didn't help that Chicago's defense struggled from everywhere on the field except the red zone. They were able to hold teams out of the end zone, but would often lose the time-of-possession battle or stay on the field too long to get any rest.
Williams earned the "Iceman" nickname for his ability to perform well under pressure and bring his team back from behind. That is something that Bears general manager Ryan Poles and head coach Ben Johnson would like to avoid for 2026.
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That's why this offseason has been all about fixing the defense and getting them to play better in 2026. The Bears are happy they can play from behind, but would like to not make that a habit.