Bear Digest

Putting Up Points Must Be Bears' Identity to Handle What's Ahead

Analysis: The time when the Bears defense could shoulder the load needs to be over as the only way they'll get by in a difficult division is by backing their defense with scoring.

Gene Chamberlain

Caleb Williams hollers it up with fans in London after the Bears beat Jacksonville 35-16.
Caleb Williams hollers it up with fans in London after the Bears beat Jacksonville 35-16. / Peter van den Berg-Imagn Images
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When Bears players on offense departed London to return home, it almost sounded like they wished they didn't have the bye week ahead.

"First couple weeks the defense was playing huge, the offense wasn't really doing a lot," wide receiver Keenan Allen told reporters. "Now we're coming out, we're scoring, we're scoring more than  we were, and scoring a lot of points. It makes it easier for the defense."

They were starting to hit their groove after a very slow start. No one wants to stop now.

Or was it really a slow start?

The offense might have arrived even sooner if not for starting the season against two of the best defenses in the NFL. After six weeks, the Tennessee Titans are ranked No. 1. The Houston Texans are No. 3. So maybe Williams' cold start was caused, in part, by competition and not just the QB being a rookie.


Naturally with a rookie quarterback some initial learning had to take place. Most rookies start slowly. Even C.J. Stroud last year had a 78.0 passer rating in his first game before he got hot. It took Jayden Daniels until his third game before he threw his first touchdown pass, just like Caleb Williams.

"I think what I can say about Caleb is he has taken steps every game," tight end Cole Kmet said.

With nine touchdown passes to three interceptions and 69.9% completions, all while adding first Cole Kmet, then the running game, then Keenan Allen to the offense, it all looks like everything is in place.

Maybe getting D'Andre Swift running and receiving effectively was the key because it all seemed to take off when they had a more effective running game, and then get bigger from there.

"The running game has come alive," Allen said. "The first couple weeks we were struggling. It's come alive a lot.

"The screen game has come alive a lot.  With him out of the backfield, it's second to none. As long as you have to account for everybody on the offense, Caleb is running around, it's kind of hard to play (defense) like that."

Williams' scrambling is the wild card opposing defenses can't account for because they're focused on all the other weapons.

What is certain is they'll need the points now because the time for talking about their streak of consecutive games holding teams to 21 or less on defense could soon be at an end. It's not just because they face Daniels and the Commanders offense, which is ranked fifth.

The Bears defense will face the second-ranked 49ers offense (420 yards a game), twice will play the Lions' third-ranked offense (416/game) and twice will play the Packers; fourth-ranked offense (400/game). They'll also play Seattle, which is not only seventh in offense (373.2. game) but also leads the NFL in passing yards (276.7).

None of this even includes the two games against the Vikings, who are not a top-10 offense but are top two in winning—as in unbeaten.

The scoring the Bears offense has been doing against weakling defenses will need to hold up against better defenses in coming weeks, but their next three opponents still have major flaws. After that, the varsity games in the NFC North begin.

CALEB WILLIAMS SHARES AWARD SPOTLIGHT WITH PACKER

COLE KMET NAMED SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK FOR HIS DOUBLE DUTY

WHAT THE BEARS DO WELL ON OFFENSE AND WHERE THEY STRUGGLE

ANALYTICS SITES CATCHING ON TO BEARS' SURGE FORWARD

It's good that the offense feels it has reached this point because the promised point when they said the defense was going to need them in the future is rapidly arriving.

Coach Matt Eberflus keeps stressing complementary football--offense helping the defense and defense helping the offense.

"It's a player-led team," Allen said. "Man, we've got a lot of leadership. We feed off each other. The defense is amazing.

"We said the offense has been getting better every week, special teams is second to none. I think we do a great job of showing up every day ready to work. And like I said everybody feeds off of each other."

They'll need to keep feeding and can't afford for the offense to regress, because the wins will be harder to come by soon enough.

Twitter: BearsOnSI

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

BearDigest.com publisher Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.