Thank you, George Halas and the Chicago Bears. When the air was taken out of the city in a Brewers sweep of the always-blowing-leads Cubs, opening kickoff of the Bears season could not come quickly enough. 59 points later, we know the Bears will play an entire slate of 17 games as a true contender.
After last week’s series split with the Big Brother Brewers, it appeared that the Cubs could compete with the soon-to-be division champions. In their final matchup of the season, the Cubs took 2 games down to the wire but ultimately got swept out of Milwaukee. The bullpen blew a late lead in the first two games, and Kevin Gausman got hammered for 6 ER in the final game. Alex Bregman and Carson Kelly had clutch moments that were wasted. Similar to last week, the Cubs won their series following the emotional rivalry. They took 2 out of 3 from the Pirates thanks to a 12-run explosion and a game-winning hit-by-pitch by Nico Hoerner.
Bregman had another great week (.400 AVG, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 3 BB to 1 K), but the offense only scored 3 or 4 runs in 4 of the 6 games.
The NL Central is officially out of reach. 10 games back with 12 games to play means the Brewers did it again. The Cubs are still playing franchise catch up.
However, even after an ugly sweep and a losing week, the Cubs and Phillies are still neck and neck for the top Wild Card spot. They’re currently tied with a 4-game cushion over the teams on the outside looking in. Home field in the Wild Card round would be helpful, but every likely scenario in these last two weeks will put the Cubs in the same position we expected: in a difficult playoff series.
The best part of the weekend was the bullpen throwing 10 innings of shutout baseball. They bounced back after the untimely disasters in Milwaukee, so hopefully a few guys are getting on track heading into the playoffs. If an ounce of the pitching staff can find clarity, the Cubs will have a great chance to win a series.
The second to last week of the season is here, and the Cubs have promising matchups in their quest to clinch a playoff spot. They play at home against the Braves who are currently playing .500 baseball this month. Then they head to Cincinnati to play a Reds team that has lost 5 of their last 6 games and just allowed 33 runs over 2 games.
59 points and 552 yards in a Bears season opener feels like a dream. In a matchup of 2025 division winners and 2023 trade partners, when the #1 overall pick later used on Bryce Young was acquired by the Panthers, the Bears controlled the show. This was a shootout for the ages as both defenses struggled to get off the field. An opening drive holding penalty and Luther Burden fumble, followed by a quick Panthers touchdown, gave Bears fans ugly flashbacks to past seasons. They immediately flipped the switch and punished the Panthers for the rest of the game.
Caleb Williams looked like a star and accounted for 334 total yards and 4 TDs. Kyle Monangai (with a 61-yard dash to the end zone) and D’Andre Swift (who cashed in his new contract with 3 TDs) each ran for 100+ yards. The defense allowed 478 yards but forced 2 fumbles.
Prior to the game, RB D’Andre Swift signed a 3-year, $33.75M contract extension. Swift broke the 1,000 yard mark in 2025 in an impressive first season with Ben Johnson, and everyone spoke highly of him during training camp. Although paying players at non-premium positions is a questionable practice, Swift was clearly coveted by Johnson. He has the speed, toughness, and experience needed to thrive in this offense.
This was the season opener we always wanted. We saw last year’s collapse against the Vikings, the unexpected beatdown by the Packers in 2023, the 3-point silencer against the Packers in 2019, and the Packers comeback against Khalil Mack in 2018. Week 1 is rarely a cause for celebration for the Bears.
That game confirmed the main point I made in my 2026 season preview. “The margins are inconsequential when you have an elite head coach and a superstar quarterback.”
Everything we needed to see to believe the Bears will be very good this season and a juggernaut for years to come was evident. The offense was literally unstoppable. The buy-in on the toughness, precision, and physicality of the program was at 100%. The supporting cast made highlight reel catches. And the quarterback is a star.
Burden, Odunze, Walker, and others all blocked with maximum effort on every single play. Kalif Raymond had 8 catches and looks like an elite offseason acquisition. The offensive line moved bodies around from start to finish. Rookies performed in their first professional game in a demanding system: Dillon Thieneman led the team in tackles (10) and was sticky in coverage, Malik Muhammad blanketed Tetairoa McMillan and caught his first career interception.
Even with 12 penalties, a failed 4th down conversion at their own 21-yard line, Colston Loveland having 0 catches for 0 yards, and the defense allowing 7.7 yards per play, the Bears won by 22 points. Week 1 is usually the sloppy mess before the climb of a season. They’re clearly built to win.
Soldier Field will be rocking for a divisional home opener against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday. The Vikings came back for a wild 39-22 win against the Packers in their opener but lost QB Kyler Murray to a concussion. Besides their red zone and 3rd down offensive efficiency, they didn’t execute in many facets of that game. The Bears should be able to make an early statement in the North.
What was the most exciting part of the Bears' Week 1 win?
The Prospect Showcase begins today!
First preseason game is October 7th!
The Bears will give up 30+ points one more time before their Bye.
The season opener was a wakeup call for a defense that will be energized by the other side of the ball all year long. 8 games sit between the Week 1 win against the Panthers and a Week 10 bye, and only one other team will dominate the Bears defense.
Thieneman and Muhammad’s emphatic performances were enough to get me excited about the development of the young defenders. Between the stabilization of the secondary with Xavier Woods and possibly Kyler Gordon returning to action, the occasional big play from the defensive line, and the meshing of the entire unit as the season goes along, the defense will greatly improve on its first showing.
Carson Wentz may start for the Vikings next week. The Jets and a Tua-led Falcons team are not intimidating. The Eagles, Packers, Patriots, Seahawks, and Buccaneers have the talent to do damage, but most of those opponents have defensive oriented rosters.
A year of shootouts will give us a few low scoring battles and a bunch of Bears-heavy blowouts.
Ben Johnson
CB Jaylon Johnson looked energized at the end of training camp, and he attributed his energy to a conversation he had with his head coach. Ben Johnson talked to him about their goal of winning the Super Bowl and instilled even more confidence and determination into their top cornerback.
Ben Johnson also took accountability during and after their game against the Panthers. Even though they scored 31 points in the first half, he attributed it all to the players. He thought he did a poor job calling plays and owned up to it.
