Bye comes at the right time: 5 thoughts on the 7-2 Chicago Bears at their bye week

Bears fans rally around X user in need after Luther Burden injury Chicago Bears fans searching for updates on rookie wide receiver Luther Burden accidentally discovered a social media user in emotional distress. Hundreds of fans offered words of encouragement, prompting the Bears and Burden to reach out with messages of support. The Brief The Chicago Bears are off this week and get some needed rest. The team gets a chance to get away for a while as they sit in first place in the NFC North. Here are five thoughts on the Chicago Bears, who are 7-2 as they enter their bye week. CHICAGO - Here are five thoughts on the Chicago Bears , who are 7-2 as they enter their bye week. Did the Bears need that SNF performance? Bears coach Ben Johnson wanted to stress that the team was grateful for a 27-24 win over Tampa Bay on Sunday Night Football. There’s still plenty to process after that. "At the end of the day, that's the end goal that we're looking for," Johnson said. "But, there's a certain standard that we want to hit week-in and week-out, and I think the good teams, even when they get victories, if they don't hit those benchmarks then that leaves some more to be desired." What they're saying: Before that, the Bears won slug fests with the Patriots and Seahawks. Tampa provided a different kind of fight. The Bears overcame five turnovers to win on Sunday. The last time they had five turnovers was a 31-7 loss to Green Bay earlier this year. The Bears are also the first team in NFL history to have 5 or more turnovers, have 9 or more penalties, be held without a rush of 10 yards or more and blow a 14 point lead at home and still win. No one in that locker room knew they played particularly well. "I felt that from our crew, which is a good thing," Johnson said. "I think that's the next evolution of this team, not just that we win but the manner in which we play. So, we've got to continue that. We've got some time now. I think there's a great opportunity at hand just to look at these first nine games and come away with what we're doing well and what we can lean on going into the last stretch of the season and certainly some areas of improvement that we need to get better at moving forward." The last part is the key. They still won the game. It was one thing to play as poor as they did offensively. The Bears have been there before. It’s important to note they found a way to win against a good defense. That’s what good teams do. It was important to see that happen. Keeping up with the North starts in one key area The Bears have to get healthy. The bye week gives them a chance to do it, specifically in getting running back Kyle Monangai, defensive lineman Dayo Odeyingbo, cornerback Tyrique Stevenson and defensive back Malik Muhammad healthy. They’ve all missed games this year. It’s also not a bad thing to give quarterback Caleb Williams a week to rest his hamstring. It also helps the Bears who haven’t missed games. Wide receiver Luther Burden III left Sunday’s game with a concussion. He gets a week to recover. Left tackle Theo Benedet has been banged up but has toughed out injuries. D’Andre Swift has been banged up at times, so have linebackers TJ Edwards and D’Marco Jackson. This bye week comes at the perfect time. Speaking of Monangai, he’s one of a few ways the Bears can improve Monangai was critical for the Bears’ running game last year, and to start this year. Without him, things have been fine. But, fine is rarely good enough for Johnson. Dig deeper: Monangai’s ability to provide a change of pace for the Bears, excel between the tackles and is a stout pass protector. It also gives D’Andre Swift a chance to rest. Swift has 155 carries so far this season. Last year, he had 223 carries and in 2024 he had 253. Johnson spoke about trying to make sure Swift is fresh for the biggest moments of the season, and that’s where Monangai comes in. Monangai isn’t the only player that can push the Bears further. Eventually, Odeyingbo will comeback. He has three sacks this year, and will be a player the Bears can use on the interior and exterior of the defensive line. Pairing him next to Jeffrey Simmons or opposite Montez Sweat adds more to the defensive line. Also, like Monangai with Swift, Odeyingbo can help keep defensive tackle Grady Jarrett fresh. Also, going 7-2 without these players sets the Bears up to be in a position to be on the cusp of the playoffs or in when safety Coby Bryant returns from his preseason knee surgery. That would give the lift to a defense that played very well against Tampa Bay and Seattle. There’s one kryptonite to the Bears’ offense Not all defenses are the same. Some are more similar than others. The Buccaneers and Vikings were similar in one instance. They came at the Bears’ offense consistently. By the numbers: Two of the Bears’ three worst offensive outings of the season were in Week 2 against the Vikings, a 9-3 loss, and in Week 9 against the Buccaneers, a 27-24 win. The Bears’ started hot against Tampa Bay, but eventually committed five turnovers. They somehow won. But, there’s a bit of a blue print there. According to The Athletic, the Vikings had an 81 percent blitz rate while the Buccaneers has a 65.9 percent blitz rate against the Bears. The Bears’ struggled mightily against the blitz in the second half on Sunday. It forced Williams to throw four interceptions, even though two of them were on throwaways. The Bears’ kryptonite is pressure that hard caps Williams’ decision-making time. But, the Bears have a chance to learn from that. Some Bears are improving at the right time Johnson has an eye everywhere. On defense against Tampa Bay, he saw ascending players. "Devin Bush played one of his best games as a Chicago Bear, which was outstanding to see," he said. "Austin Booker made some great plays for us. His intensity, his effort. They keep getting better week in and week out." Big picture view: Bush has gotten praise from Johnson consistently as a guy that’s improved since the start of the season. The Bears moved on from Tremaine Edmunds, and trusted the speed Bush has. That’s paid off with a player who might not have the interception stats Edmunds had, but Bush can put more pressure on quarterbacks. Booker has shined, too. He has a career-high five sacks and six tackles for loss. Expect those numbers to grow. Benedet is a player that’s shined. He took over at left tackle and hasn’t given the Bears a reason to swap in Ozzy Trapilo. If these players keep improving, the Bears have defensive weapons and a solid left tackle. These are two things the team wanted when the season began. The Source: Analysis is from FOX Chicago's Chris Kwiecinski, who covers the Bears from Halas Hall to Soldier Field and everywhere in between. 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