(670 The Score) The Bears blasted the Jaguars on Sunday in London, earning a 35-16 victory at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The Bears now head into the bye week at 4-2 overall and have showcased progress in their three-game winning streak. Here are the observations from Chicago’s big win Sunday.
Progress above all
During the Bears' three-game winning streak – their longest since 2020 – they've beaten three teams with a combined record of 3-14. The Rams, Panthers and Jaguars are among the worst in the NFL to this point.
Even so, don’t take anything away from the Bears, because what matters most is their own continued growth.
The Bears haven’t arrived yet by any means, nor were they expected to in this phase of their plan. This is a young football team working toward a brighter future while boasting hopes to break through as a contender this season.
The beauty of the Bears' schedule is that it presented lighter competition in the first six games, allowing for a stair-step climb to the bigger stakes late in the season. Rookie quarterback Caleb Williams has developed carefully rather than taking a beating against the NFL’s best teams.
The Bears appear to be a good football team, and good football teams are supposed to beat lesser foes. That’s what Chicago has done early on.
In their winning streak, the Bears have established their offensive identity, asserted themselves defensively and gained confidence along the way. The 22-year-old Williams has made strides forward in each start, and the offense has grown with him.
Through Sunday night, the Bears rank 12th in the NFL in scoring and fifth in scoring defense. Chicago has the ninth-fewest turnovers on offense and the third-most takeaways on defense. The Bears are playing complementary football with a winning formula on display. While the competition has been weaker, the Bears are still stepping up to challenges.
In a win against the Rams on Sept. 29, the Bears picked off star quarterback Matthew Stafford in the final minutes. Stafford is the NFL’s active leader in comeback victories, but the Bears kept him from adding one more to his resume. A week later against Carolina, Chicago’s defense frustrated 14-year veteran quarterback Andy Dalton and one of the league’s better offensive lines.
Then in London on Sunday, the Bears played their best football against fourth-year quarterback Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars. They handled the challenge of an international game appropriately, minimizing travel concerns and distractions.
Most importantly, the Bears got continued strong play from Williams and the offense to work alongside their stout defense.
The Bears head into their bye at a good time, allowing them to regroup from the London trip and get healthy before a greater challenge looms against the Commanders (4-2) on Oct. 27. Later, Chicago will finish its season with NFC North contests in six of its last eight games.
Early on this season, the Bears have stacked victories and improved as a team. Don’t push that aside because of the opponents on the other side.
Important response
Once the ball left his hand, Williams knew that he made a mistake. He soon returned to the sideline, pulled out the tablet and watched it again.
Williams' miscue came in the form of an interception with 5:23 remaining in the second quarter Sunday and the Bears driving on the Jaguars. Facing a third-and-1 from the Jaguars' 41-yard line, Bears offensive coordinator Shane Waldron dialed up an aggressive call to receiver DJ Moore deep toward the left sideline. Williams missed the proper window to release the football, then forced an underthrown pass into tight coverage. Jaguars safety Andre Cisco jumped the route and picked off the pass.
To the credit of the Bears defense, they forced a three-and-out that got Williams the football back quickly. In short order, he regrouped from the mistake and responded on the field.
Williams led a 10-play, 85-yard touchdown drive, going 4-of-4 for 29 yards on that drive while rushing twice for 42 yards. On first-and-goal from two yards out, Williams lofted a pass to the corner of the end zone that tight end Cole Kmet hauled in for his second touchdown of the first half.
Williams showed great poise in not only leading the Bears in a two-minute operation but also in bouncing back from his miscue. It’s a challenge even for veterans — and especially for a rookie making his sixth NFL start.
After one of his biggest mistakes in the NFL, Williams revealed character in responding the right way.
Next man up?
Late in the game Sunday, the Bears were missing three starters in their secondary.
Safety Jaquan Brisker (concussion) didn't travel to London, while cornerback Tyrique Stevenson (calf) was on the sideline in street clothes. Then nickel cornerback Kyler Gordon suffered a hamstring injury during the game.
The Bears responded well to their depth being tested, as cornerback Josh Blackwell recorded an interception while safety Elijah Hicks and cornerback Jaylon Jones each made key plays as well.
Fortunately for the Bears, their secondary depth is a strength. Coach Matt Eberflus on Monday also expressed optimism that Brisker, Stevenson and Gordon can each return to action when the Bears visit the Commanders on Oct. 27 after their bye week.
Sunday underscored the need to have quality depth. Outside of their secondary, the Bears aren’t as strong at the bottom of their roster at other key positions. That's largely expected in the third year of general manager Ryan Poles’ rebuilding plan, which has vastly improved the quality of the starters but still has progress to make elsewhere.
Extra points
--- Prior to Keenan Allen’s first touchdown in a Bears uniform, he was targeted on the two plays beforehand. It was clear that Waldron was eager to get him involved in the offense. That was an important moment for both Allen and the Bears.
--- Williams’ first touchdown connection with Allen was a perfect precision pass – a dime that split the two linebackers and found Allen’s back shoulder where only he could catch it.
--- The Bears' opponents have scored first in all six games of Chicago's season. The Bears are 4-2, but the slow starts are something they need to clean up, especially with tougher teams awaiting later on the schedule.
--- NFL teams have a contingency plan for essentially everything, and that’s why Bears tight end Cole Kmet practices his long snapping each Thursday. He prepares for the unlikely scenario that he’s called into action. That came Sunday when regular long snapper Scott Daly suffered a knee injury, and Kmet was excellent with his snaps.
--- That was a tough break for Daly, who appeared to have suffered a serious knee injury. Daly is a Downers Grove product who was thrilled to join the Bears this season. Here’s hoping there’s good news on the horizon regarding his injury status.
--- At 4-2, the Bears are technically tied for last place with the Packers (4-2) in the NFC North, where the Vikings (5-0) and Lions (5-1) are also surging. This division race is going to be fun.
--- Can we make Eberflus’ “honor the football” a thing, please?
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.