(670 The Score) In his first year leading the Bears, head coach Ben Johnson has maintained a dedicated focus on the process of improvement.
Johnson understood the challenge that he was taking on by accepting the Bears’ coaching position back in January. The success of his team's 7-3 start hasn't changed his mindset.
The Bears are alone at the top of the NFC North following their 19-17 win over the Vikings on Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium and the Lions' 16-9 loss to the Eagles later in the evening. Under Johnson's direction, the Bears have closed games strong, as they have three straight comeback wins and five comeback victories in the fourth quarter this season.
Amid that success, Johnson still isn't thinking about playoff possibilities.
“We’re way far away from that,” Johnson said Monday afternoon. "I haven't been thinking about that. We’re really in the third quarter of the season.
“We’re in a good spot right now for where we want to be at this quarter of the season, and we have a tough opponent coming in here on Sunday.”
The Bears will host the Steelers (6-4) on Sunday at Soldier Field. Pittsburgh veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers' availability is unclear after he suffered a left wrist injury in the Steelers' win against the Bengals on Sunday.
The Bears have won seven of their last eight games despite playing an inconsistent brand of football. On Sunday in Minneapolis, they blew a 16-3 lead in the fourth quarter before kicking the game-winning field goal as time expired.
The Bears are atop the NFC North despite a minus-2 point differential this season. That figure is largely influenced by Chicago's 52-21 loss at Detroit on Sept. 14.
For his part, Johnson has pointed toward the Bears’ need for considerable improvement amid their rise in the standings.
The competition will soon become much more difficult for the Bears. In their final seven games, they'll face just one opponent that currently has a losing record. That would be the Browns, who are 2-8 and will visit Soldier Field on Dec. 14.
With their 7-3 record, the Bears occupy the No. 3 seed in the NFC.
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.