Honestly, if you told a Chicago fan back in August that the Bears would finish 11-6 and win the NFC North, they’d probably have asked you to share whatever you were drinking. This is Chicago, after all. We're used to the "Double Doink" and the eternal search for a franchise quarterback. But the 2025 season felt different, mostly because the kid under center finally looked like the real deal.
Caleb Williams didn't just survive his sophomore year; he basically re-wrote the expectations for what a Bears offense should look like. But it wasn't a straight line to the playoffs. It was messy. It was loud. And at times, especially in September, it looked like it might all fall apart before the Halloween decorations even went up.
Chicago Bears Week by Week: The Rough September Start
The season kicked off with a thud. Week 1 at Soldier Field against the Vikings was supposed to be a coronation, but instead, it was a 27-24 reminder that division games are always a fistfight. Caleb Williams actually started hot, completing his first 10 passes—a franchise record for a season opener. He even tucked the ball and ran for a touchdown on the opening drive. But the defense couldn't hold, and a late field goal by Minnesota spoiled the party.
Then came the Detroit disaster.
Week 2 was ugly. There’s no other way to put it. A 52-21 blowout at Ford Field left everyone questioning if new head coach Ben Johnson was in over his head. The Lions' offense looked like they were playing against air.
Finding the Groove (Weeks 3-7)
Something clicked in Week 3 against Dallas. Williams went off, throwing for 298 yards and four touchdowns with zero picks. It earned him NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors, and it was the first time we saw him connect with rookie Luther Burden III on that massive 65-yard bomb.
They followed that up with a gritty 25-24 win in Las Vegas and a well-timed Week 5 bye. Coming out of the break, the Bears looked like a completely different unit. They edged out the Commanders in another one-point nail-biter (25-24) and then physically dominated the Saints 26-14 at home. By the end of October, that 0-2 start felt like ancient history.
The Mid-Season Rollercoaster
You can’t talk about the Chicago Bears by week without mentioning the Week 8 reality check in Baltimore. Lamar Jackson and the Ravens are a different breed. The Bears' defense, which had been improving, got carved up in a 30-16 loss. It was a "welcome back to earth" moment.
But then came the shootout in Cincinnati.
Week 9 was easily the game of the year. A 47-42 track meet where Caleb Williams and Joe Burrow just traded haymakers. The Bears put up 576 yards of total offense. Think about that. For a franchise historically known for punting and "three yards and a cloud of dust," seeing them hang nearly 50 points on a contender felt like entering an alternate dimension.
- Week 10: A 24-20 win over the Giants that was way closer than it should have been.
- Week 11: Revenge against the Vikings (19-17) thanks to a late defensive stand.
- Week 12: A 31-28 victory over the Steelers where the running game finally took over.
- Week 13: A Friday afternoon special in Philly. The Bears beat the Eagles 24-15 on the road, officially putting the NFL on notice.
The Green Bay Wars and the Home Stretch
If you’re a Bears fan, the schedule is basically just two games against Green Bay and fifteen other things that happen. Week 14 at Lambeau was heartbreaking—a 28-21 loss that felt like the same old story. Williams struggled in the cold, throwing for only 186 yards.
But Week 16? That was for the history books.
Soldier Field. Saturday night. The division on the line. The game went to overtime tied at 16, and the atmosphere was electric. The Bears finally exorcised some demons with a 22-16 OT win, essentially clinching their first NFC North title since 2018.
The regular season ended with two losses—a high-scoring 42-38 defeat in San Francisco and a 19-16 loss to the Lions—but by then, the seed was mostly set. They finished 11-6, good for first in the North.
Why This Season Mattered
The stats tell part of the story, but the nuance is in the coaching. Ben Johnson brought an Erhardt-Perkins offensive scheme that actually used Caleb Williams' mobility rather than trying to turn him into a statue. Defensively, Kevin Byard proved to be the steal of free agency, earning First-Team All-Pro honors and stabilizing a secondary that was prone to big plays the year before.
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It wasn't perfect. The defense finished 29th in yards allowed, which is a massive red flag. They won a lot of games because the offense could actually outscore people, which is a weird sentence to write about a team from Chicago.
Practical Takeaways for the Offseason
If you're looking at what the Bears need to do to move from "division winner" to "Super Bowl contender," it's all about the trenches. Despite the 11-6 record, Williams was sacked 24 times. That’s an improvement, but he still takes too many hits.
- Prioritize Interior D-Line: The run defense was porous in the losses to Detroit and Baltimore.
- Target a True #2 Tight End: To fully unlock Johnson's scheme, they need more 12-personnel flexibility.
- Consistency in the Secondary: They rely too much on turnovers (they led the league in interceptions) rather than stops.
The 2025 journey of the Chicago Bears by week was a wild ride that ended with a 31-27 Wild Card victory over—who else?—the Green Bay Packers. While the Divisional Round against the Rams loomed large, the season was already a massive success. This team isn't just "cute" anymore. They're a problem.
To keep up with the latest roster moves as the Bears prepare for the upcoming draft, you should monitor the official NFL transaction wire and the team's local beat reporters for updates on coaching staff changes. Stay focused on the development of the offensive line, as that remains the final piece of the puzzle for Caleb Williams' long-term success.