Nobody on planet Earth thought for a second the Chicago Bears would be in the Super Bowl conversation this year. Why would they? This team was 5-12 last year, with a fractured locker room and serious questions about their young quarterback. The arrival of Ben Johnson was expected to at least make them decent in 2025, maybe setting the stage for gradual improvement in the next few years. Instead, the Bears have catapulted to a 9-3 record and are in control of the NFC's #1 seed. Suddenly, the question has become unavoidable.
Can this team reach the Super Bowl?
Most people would say no. They still have a lot of flaws despite their remarkable turnaround. Caleb Williams remains a work in progress, completing just 58% of his passes. Many of their victories have required last-second heroics, which typically do not indicate a contender. However, future Hall of Fame cornerback Patrick Peterson believes a deep playoff run is more than possible for the Bears. He believes their ability to control the line of scrimmage on offense and take the ball away on defense is an excellent recipe for success.
The Chicago Bears feel like a team that is not quite there yet.
Their success this season is more due to luck and timing than actual great play. They've benefited from their opponents suffering timely injuries to key players. Five of their wins involved 4th quarter comebacks. While it has made the Chicago Bears must-see TV, it remains difficult to buy them as the likely contender coming out of the NFC. That remains Los Angeles, Green Bay, and even the team they just beat, Philadelphia. The Bears need another infusion of high-end talent and maturation from their young core before things really start clicking.
That said, Peterson is correct. Teams that run the ball well and can take it away defensively tend to do well in the playoffs. Ask the 2006 Bears. They had a mediocre quarterback, but ran the ball well and led the league in takeaways. That formula carried them to the Super Bowl. This version of the team has a better quarterback and a more dynamic head coach. Maybe it's time to start at least accepting the possibility.
