The Bears Have Arrived: Caleb Williams & Co. Emerge As A Top Super Bowl Contender

LUMEN FIELD (Seattle) — After a masterful opening script, an 80-yard touchdown drive that took 8:32 off the clock in 17 plays, the Bears’ offense sat on the visitor’s sideline at Lumen Field, hyped by what had just transpired. The broadcast cameras caught Caleb Williams delivering a fiery message to his teammates. “I don’t give a f— who they are!” At the podium post game, Williams said he didn’t remember saying that. But that drive, that overall offensive performance, how the defense flew around and what special teams displayed — all three phases — showed that the Bears embodied those words. They didn’t care that the Seahawks were the defending Super Bowl champion, with an elite defense and the world’s best wide receiver, playing at home in primetime. The Bears came to Seattle and punched the Seahawks in the mouth, winning 34-17 Monday night at Lumen Field. “That’s who we want to be known as,” Williams said. “When we come in, we’re also a force to be reckoned with.” In the process, the Bears signaled their arrival as a top Super Bowl contender. Chicago was already in the conversation as one of the league’s best teams, of course. The continued development of Williams under head coach/playcaller Ben Johnson coupled with a top-10 defense in both yardage and points allowed did that for the Bears. But on Monday night, Chicago’s offense showed that it can overwhelm even the league’s best defenses. As for the Chicago defense, All-Pro defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons, acquired via a blockbuster trade with the Tennessee Titans just days ago, unlocks new heights for the unit. In addition to the 6-1 San Francisco 49ers, the 6-2 Bears now look like the team to beat in the NFC. “People are going to talk, people are going to say things and whatever. But this was a good test for us to know where we’re at,” tight end Colston Loveland told me, “and confirm that we’re a good team and can compete with anyone.” Chicago dominated time of possession, controlling the ball for 35:03 of 60 minutes. Their 17-play touchdown drive to start the game marked the first time the Seahawks had allowed an opening-possession TD in their past 26 games, including the playoffs, according to NFL on FOX research. The Bears also had a 10-play touchdown drive in the third quarter. Chicago was highly efficient on early downs, putting Seattle’s defense at a disadvantage most of the night. The Bears had eight completions of at least 11 yards on first or second down. Half of those went for 20-plus yards — three to Rome Odunze, one to Luther Burden. They also went 4-for-4 in the red zone and converted their lone fourth-down attempt, a fourth-and-1 play from their own 44 on their first possession. Midway through the fourth quarter, veteran wide receiver Kalif Raymond caught a screen pass on third-and-9 and took it 39 yards to set up the second of running back D’Andre Swift’s three rushing touchdowns, which was a back-breaker for Seattle’s defense. That turned a three-point game into a 10-point lead for Chicago at 27-17. The Bears’ 34 points marked the most points scored on the Seahawks since Week 16 of last season. “People can call it a statement, but it’s just going out there and playing our style of football,” Odunze said. Defensively, Simmons was everything Chicago was hoping for — and his impact was felt immediately. He recorded his first sack as a Bear in the first quarter. He followed that with a six-yard tackle for loss in the second period. Late in the fourth quarter, he broke up a third-down pass by Sam Darnold intended for Jaxon Smith-Njigba. But it wasn’t just about the plays Simmons made himself. It was about how his presence forced the Seahawks to react. He faced a team-high 13 double-teams, per Next Gen Stats. In the third quarter, one of them gave defensive end Montez Sweat a one-on-one with Seahawks right tackle Abe Lucas, who he beat for the sack. “A lot of people don’t know how smart he is and what he brings to us,” said Bears defensive lineman James Lynch, who was Simmons’ teammate for two seasons with the Titans. “What he sees and what he’s feeling, all that stuff.” That’s the Simmons effect. His addition means defensive coordinator Dennis Allen can lean on the four-man rush in a way that he hasn’t been able to consistently. Everyone on the Bears’ defense gets more playmaking opportunities and favorable matchups because of Simmons, and Monday was just the start. Chicago recorded three sacks, six quarterback hits, five tackles for loss, six passes defensed and an interception. Everything that Simmons has been doing in Tennessee for years without attention — high motor play with an elite impact in both the run and pass game — is now at center stage and for Chicago’s benefit. He finished his Bears debut with six tackles (two for loss), a sack and a pass breakup. During the 48 plays Simmons was on the field, the Bears’ defense allowed just 3.0 yards per play and recorded five tackles for loss, according to Next Gen Stats. On the eight plays he was off the field, the Bears allowed 13.3 yards per play. “Our guys were excited the moment they heard the news we were bringing him on, and he’s fit right in,” Johnson said. “We have a high-character locker room and he’s that himself. You can feel his presence out there, whether it’s during the play or even after the play. You can feel him talk a little smack as well, which I think elevates everybody around him. I thought he played outstanding. “His impact was profound.” In addition to the offensive and defensive dominance, the Bears’ special teams unit was excellent in Seattle as well. Defensive lineman Austin Booker blocked kicker Jason Myers’ 33-yard field goal attempt early in the fourth quarter. Myers missed an extra point right before halftime as well. After beating the Patriots and Seahawks — last year’s Super Bowl teams — in consecutive weeks, the Bears exude supreme confidence right now. “We believe in each other,” Williams said. “It’s not just offense. We wouldn’t have this belief without the defense. We wouldn’t have this belief without the special teams. We know we have each other’s back. We work our tail off as a team. The details, how detailed we are. It’s really cool to see those things come to life in big moments and just throughout the game, so that’s who we are.” Who are these Bears? They’re a team on the shortlist for the NFL’s top Super Bowl contenders.