We’re four weeks into the NFL season, and it’s already safe to say that the Chicago Bears have the right people in the room.
Bears fans haven’t been able to make a statement like that in a very long time.
Head coach Ben Johnson’s goal was to get through the first four matchups with just one loss, and the Bears did just that with their dismantling of the New York Jets last Sunday. Apart from an ugly (but close) loss to Minnesota, Chicago looks better than what was expected before the year.
As the middle of the season begins, here are three things that should excite Bears fans ahead of this week’s installment of Chicago vs. Green Bay.
Johnson dislikes the Packers just as much, if not more, than you do
Let’s rewind to January of 2025, when the Chicago Bears and general manager Ryan Poles introduced Johnson as the team’s new head coach. In his introductory press conference, Johnson ruffled feathers with a shot at Green Bay’s head man.
“To be honest with you, I kinda enjoyed beating Matt LaFleur twice a year,” Johnson said.
You’d be forgiven for believing that jab was solely intended to rile up the fanbase and meant to be a one-time thing. But Johnson has shown no reservations against doubling down on his shots at Green Bay.
For evidence: look no further than his postgame locker room speech after Chicago ended the Packers’ 2025-26 season back in January in the NFC wild card round. The man does not like Green Bay - plain and simple.
Now, LaFleur is well within his rights not to play the game Johnson wants to instigate - that’s his choice. But, this sort of rhetoric is nothing new. Some of the rivalry’s greatest figures welcomed the trash talk.
Lombardi. Halas. Ditka. Rodgers. All of those legends embraced what the rivalry means to the fans and added their own flair along the way, and the fact that Johnson, like the characters before him, wants to stoke the fire should be viewed as a positive in Chicago.
The Bears’ run game continues to excel
Alright, enough with the talk outside the lines. Chicago’s identity last season under Johnson was built around a lethal run game that emphasized physicality.
In 2026, things are no different.
Through four weeks, the Bears are outgaining their opponents by over 80 yards per game on the ground. Last week, against the Jets, Chicago controlled possession for a whopping 42 minutes and 45 seconds, as they ran the ball 54 times.
The disparity between New York and Chicago was so extreme, that the Bears ended the afternoon with more first downs (34) than the Jets ran offensive plays (32). Those 34 first downs were the most by Chicago in a single game since before World War II.
The running back tandem of D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai is nothing short of brilliant, but give the offensive line its credit, too. Right guard Jonah Jackson and right tackle Darnell Wright form what might be the best right side of a line in the NFL, and Joe Thuney continues to be elite at left guard.
But Monangai was ruled out with a toe injury Friday afternoon, which leaves third-string back Roschon Johnson to get carries behind Swift. As long as he can provide some of the power running and ball security that Monangai does, the Bears run game shouldn’t take a huge hit.
Meanwhile, the Packers are near the bottom of the league in rush yards allowed, at just under 140 per game, and have been outgained in all four games played.
One of those contests came against the Falcons, who also have an excellent running back duo in Bijan Robinson and Brian Robinson Jr., so if that game is anything to go by, Bears fans ought to feel optimistic about what Chicago can produce on the ground come Sunday.
Defensive coordinator Dennis Allen is working his magic
I had my concerns about Chicago’s defensive unit after the Week 1 victory over Carolina. The Bears scored 59 points, yes, but also allowed 37 points and 478 yards to the Panthers.
It turns out that Carolina’s offense is considerably better than anticipated - the Panthers lead the league in passing yards per game, and are fourth in total yardage. From Week 2 onwards, Chicago’s defense has allowed just 217 yards per game. Rookie defensive backs Malik Muhammad and Dillon Thieneman look like draft day hits, and are getting better every week.
The defense was supposed to be this team’s weak spot, and that’s been far from the case. Poles caught flak from the fanbase for not making a major addition to the front seven in offseason free agency. After four games, that unit is pressuring opposing quarterbacks on over 35% of dropbacks, which is third best in the league.
The unit they’ll face on Sunday, Green Bay’s offensive line (which, to be fair, did improve greatly last week), has been bottom of the barrel. Quarterback Jordan Love has had an average of 2.1 seconds of time to throw, a bottom-four mark.
All of that combined bodes well for the Bears, who are favored at Lambeau Field for the first time since 2006.
There’s no doubt - playing in Green Bay without your starting quarterback will always be tough. But this Bears team and their head coach doesn’t take this rivalry lightly.
Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m. on Sunday on FOX.
