The Chicago Bears clinched a playoff spot Sunday thanks to the Pittsburgh Steelers’ win over the Detroit Lions. For the first time since 2020, the Bears are heading to the postseason.
The Bears are still coming off the high of Saturday’s dramatic comeback against the Green Bay Packers, punctuated by DJ Moore’s 46-yard touchdown grab in overtime. Coach Ben Johnson has his team sitting at 11-4 with two regular-season games remaining against the San Francisco 49ers and the Lions.
Tribune Bears beat reporters Sean Hammond and Phil Thompson tackle this week’s pressing questions.
1. The Bears are officially playoff-bound. Does Ben Johnson deserve NFL coach of the year? If not, who is more deserving?
Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen speaks after a game against the Denver Broncos in Denver, on Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Hammond: This is certainly a pretty subjective award. Oddsmakers right now have Mike Vrabel (New England Patriots), Mike Macdonald (Seattle Seahawks), Johnson and Liam Coen (Jacksonville Jaguars) as the four most likely candidates. Vrabel, Johnson and Coen all came into similar situations with a new team that underperformed last year, but already had a starting quarterback in place. Macdonald is in year two with the Seahawks, where he has rebuilt the defense and bet big on Sam Darnold over the offseason. Certainly, they’re all deserving. If the Seahawks finish as the No. 1 seed in the NFC, I’d probably vote for Macdonald.
Thompson: The award typically goes to a coach who has dramatically turned around a franchise. That gives you a short list of Vrabel, Coen and Johnson, with only the Jaguars having yet to clinch a playoff spot ahead of the Monday game. Vrabel has prior experience (leading the Tennessee Titans to three postseasons), so that knocks him off my list. Both Coen and Johnson (each 11-4) have revitalized their running games and course-corrected their young franchise quarterbacks, though Trevor Lawrence has three seasons on Caleb Williams. The Jags look greatly improved, but the Bears were a demoralized train wreck under Matt Eberflus last season (with a 10-game losing streak) and Johnson flipped the culture.
2. Saturday’s comeback was the most memorable Bears-Packers game since when?
Chicago Bears free safety Eddie Jackson makes an interception during the second half against the Green Bay Packers at Soldier Field on Sunday Dec. 16, 2018, in Chicago. The Bears defeated the Packers 24-17 to clinch the NFC North title. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)
Hammond: It has to be the NFC championship game following the 2010 regular season. There just haven’t been a whole lot of memorable Bears-Packers games since then. It’s rare that both teams have been good at the same time. The Aaron Rodgers “I still own you” game in 2021 was a memorable moment, but does anybody really remember anything about the game itself? Saturday night’s game will be talked about for years.
Thompson: I’m sure most people’s first thoughts go to Dec. 16, 2018, when Eddie Jackson intercepted Aaron Rodgers in the fourth quarter to clinch the NFC North at Soldier Field. But Jordan Love’s exit from Saturday’s game with a concussion reminds me of Bears pass rusher Shea McCellin breaking Aaron Rodgers’ collarbone, with former high school coach Josh McCown leading the Bears to a 27-20 win on Monday, Nov. 4, 2013.
3. We asked this question several weeks ago, but with two games remaining, it’s a good time to circle back. Fill in the blank: The best team in the NFC is _________?
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold makes a pass against the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025, in Seattle. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)
Hammond: When we last discussed this in this space, I said the Los Angeles Rams. I still think it’s smart to bet on the team with the most experienced quarterback who has done it on the biggest stage. Maybe it’s recency bias after an epic overtime duel on Thursday night, but I do think the Rams and Seahawks are the best teams in the conference. They have two of the best defensive lines in football. Sam Darnold came through on Thursday, but I’d still rather bet on Matthew Stafford in January. I’ll stick with the Rams.
Thompson: I said earlier that the Seattle Seahawks are the scariest road team to host in a potential first-round matchup, so just think if they hold onto the No. 1 seed and get a bye and home-field advantage. Their defense presents problems — third-ranked on run defense (94.1 per game) and second-ranked on third down (33.64%) — and their offense is third in points per game (29.5). Most importantly, they topped the king of the hill, the Los Angeles Rams. I believe it was the Bard, Ric Flair, who said, “To be the man, you gotta beat the man.”
4. This has been a pretty unorthodox year for the Bears defense. The D has given up plenty of yards, but also leads the NFL in takeaways. Who is your MVP of this defense right now and why?
Chicago Bears safety Kevin Byard III tackles Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs in the fourth quarter at Lambeau Field in Green Bay on Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune)
Hammond: It’s hard not to go with the team captain who leads the NFL in interceptions. Kevin Byard III is the emotional leader of this group, and he’s one of the best at his position in the NFL. He’s more than deserving. Tremaine Edmunds is also deserving and Nahshon Wright has surprised everyone this season, but I’ll go with Byard.
Thompson: It has to be Nahshon Wright. I certainly can’t consider any of the pass rushers after watching Malik Willis throw passes while reclined on a chaise lounge. The Bears D is surviving on an NFL-leading 31 takeaways, and Wright’s the team’s takeaway king with five interceptions, three fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles.
5. Caleb Williams needs 438 passing yards (219 per game) to match the franchise’s single-season record of 3,838 passing yards. For reference, he has topped 219 yards in eight of 15 games this season. Do you think he will set a new record?
With center Drew Dalman blocking, Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams throws a pass against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on Nov. 28, 2025. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
Hammond: I’ll say Williams gets there. On paper, the 49ers and Lions sound like tough matchups, but some of the advanced metrics suggest the Bears should be able to throw the ball against these teams. Both defenses rank in the bottom third of the league in terms of passing yards per game and passing EPA (expected points added). It’s also unclear how the Bears will approach Week 18 with their playoff spot already locked up. If they beat San Francisco in Week 17, they will lock up the NFC North and a home game. But that also would mean the No. 1 overall seed, and the first-round bye, remain in play heading into Week 18.
Thompson: He should. The 49ers give up 227.6 passing yards per game (ranked 23rd) and 232.5 (25th). The 49ers also rank last in sack rate (3.3%). Given the way this tightly contested season has gone, the Bears likely will be fighting to protect their current playoff seeding to the last tick of the clock.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/23/chicago-bears-pressing-questions-ben-johnson/
