Season Pulse Check
The Chicago Bears are off to a disappointing 0-2 start in the 2025 campaign, dropping both games to NFC North rivals. Their Week 2 loss was especially brutal, falling 52-21 to the Detroit Lions—Ben Johnson’s former team. Historically, teams that start 0-2 with both losses to division opponents have a 0% playoff appearance rate since the 2002 realignment. The Bears are attempting to defy those odds and become the first team to make the postseason under those circumstances.
The defense has been a major concern. Despite being the 5th-highest paid unit in the NFL, the Bears have allowed 79 total points, the most in the league through two weeks. Offensively, they’ve scored 45 points, which ranks 13th, but the inconsistency has been glaring. The Bears have committed 20 penalties, tied for 3rd most in the NFL, and have a turnover differential of -3, which ranks 30th. Woof.
Bears vs. Lions Recap and Takeaways
Sunday’s game was a disaster outside of the first two drives. The Bears managed just 4 pressures on Jared Goff, who completed 78% of his passes for 312 yards and 4 touchdowns. The defensive line, which generated 12 pressures in Week 1, regressed significantly. The Bears committed 11 penalties for 98 yards and allowed 511 total yards, the most by any team in Week 2.
Offensively, the Bears punted four times, turned the ball over three times, and failed to convert on two fourth-down attempts, we are in midseason Bears form. Caleb Williams finished with a passer rating of 91.9, throwing for 207 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception. The lone bright spot was WR Rome Odunze, who posted 7 receptions for 128 yards and 2 touchdowns, bringing his season total to 12 catches, 208 yards, and 3 TDs.
Bears Next 2 Weeks Are Critical
There is a silver lining: the Bears faced two playoff teams from last season—Detroit (15-2, #1 seed) and Minnesota (14-3, #5 seed)—both of which ranked in the top 12 in offensive efficiency. The next two games offer a chance to rebound. The Bears host the Dallas Cowboys, whose defense ranks 31st in yards allowed (421.5 ypg) and 30th in third-down conversion rate allowed (48%). Then they travel to Las Vegas to face a Raiders team that ranks 27th in scoring offense (17.0 ppg) and 25th in pass defense.
If the Bears can clean up the penalties and capitalize on defensive weaknesses, a 2-2 record heading into the Week 5 bye is very achievable. Personally speaking, I need this, I can’t handle going into the bye 0-4 or 1-3, being a fan of this team has caused my hair to start to turn silver at the ripe age of 28. In case you’re wondering I’m 1-1 on picking wins and losses for the Bears this season, you can view my full picks here. I know I sound delusional but its that time of the week where I start to believe again.
Bears Vs Cowboys Preview
Keys for Bears to Find Success
Control the Line of Scrimmage. Dallas boasts a strong rushing attack, averaging 5.1 yards per carry and totaling 265 yards through two games. Even with backup center Brock Hoffman filling in for the injured Cooper Beebe, their offensive line has held up well. This puts pressure on Bears DT Andrew Billings to anchor the interior and disrupt the run game early. If Billings can win consistently at the point of attack, it will force Dallas into longer down-and-distance situations. The Bears’ pass rush has been underwhelming, with just one sack—tied for last in the NFL. Defensive coordinator Dennis Allen needs to get creative with blitzes and stunts to generate pressure. Without it, Dak Prescott (361 yards, 2 TDs last week) will have time to operate within Dallas’s play-action-heavy scheme.
Limit Explosive Plays. Chicago has allowed nine plays of 20+ yards, tied for second-most in the league. With Jaylon Johnson sidelined, CBs Tyrique Stevenson (who got bullied last week), Kyler Gordon, and Nahshon Wright will be tested against CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens, who have combined for over 400 yards and three touchdowns. Safety Jaquan Brisker, alongside Kevin Byard III, must elevate their roles in coverage and run support. The Bears secondary must communicate well to avoid breakdowns against Dallas’s layered route concepts and motion-heavy formations
Get Caleb Williams Comfortable Early. Williams has a completion rate of 63.8%, but his performance dips under pressure. The Bears should lean on quick-game concepts: slants, screens, and RPOs to DJ Moore and Rome Odunze. TE Cole Kmet and rookie Colston Loveland need more involvement—combined, they’ve seen just 9 targets through two games. Williams has a PFF grade of 67.2, while Dak Prescott ranks 2nd in the NFL at 88.0, so keeping pace is critical. And yes this does mean 1 or less pre-snap penalty on offense.
Win the Turnover Battle. The Bears are -3 in turnover differential, while Dallas is +2. Ball security has been a point of emphasis in practice, especially for Williams and RB D’Andre Swift. Chicago must protect the football and generate at least one takeaway—whether through a strip sack, tipped pass, or aggressive coverage. Linebackers Tremaine Edmunds, T.J. Edwards, and Noah Sewell will be key in forcing mistakes. A turnover could flip momentum and shorten the field for the offense, which is crucial against a Dallas team that has already scored 40 points in a game this season
Matchups to Watch
Andrew Billings vs. Brock Hoffman. With Cooper Beebe sidelined due to injury, Brock Hoffman steps in at center for Dallas. Hoffman posted a 58.6 run-blocking grade and allowed two pressures last week. This is a prime opportunity for Andrew Billings, who has a run-stop rate of 9.8%, to collapse the pocket and disrupt the Cowboys’ interior run game. Slowing down Javonte Williams—who has 194 rushing yards and 3 TDs through two games—is critical to forcing Dallas into third-and-long situations.
Rome Odunze vs. Trevon Diggs (or DaRon Bland). Rome Odunze, now in his second NFL season, is emerging as Caleb Williams’ top target, with 13 receptions for 165 yards and 3 touchdowns through two games. Trevon Diggs, who missed Wednesday’s practice with illness, returned as a full participant Thursday and is expected to play. If Diggs is limited or sits, DaRon Bland—who allowed 6 catches for 102 yards last week—will likely shadow Odunze. This matchup could be pivotal, especially with DJ Moore drawing attention on the opposite side.
Caleb Williams vs. Cowboys Secondary. Caleb Williams has thrown for 417 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 1 interception through two games, with a QBR of 57.7. He’s shown improvement on deep throws, completing 40% of passes over 20 air yards, up from 26.7% last season. Dallas’s secondary has been a liability so far, ranking 30th in coverage grade and allowing 450 passing yards and 3 touchdowns to Russell Wilson last week. Williams must exploit these matchups, particularly against Elam, who has allowed a completion rate of 95% in Week 1 and 76.9% in Week 2, along with six missed tackles. While Williams has thrown only one interception this season, ball security will be key against a defense that thrives on opportunistic plays despite its coverage issues
Cole Kmet vs. Cowboys Linebackers. Cole Kmet has just 3 catches for 60 yards on 6 targets through two games. While his route participation is solid (nearly 80% of pass plays), most of his production has come in garbage time. Dallas linebackers, including Damone Clark and former Bear Jack Sanborn, allowed 10 receptions to tight ends last week. This could be a breakout opportunity for Kmet to become a reliable safety valve for Williams, especially in the red zone and on third downs.
The Bears vs. Themselves. While individual matchups will be key, the Bears must also avoid self-inflicted wounds—penalties, turnovers, and mental lapses have stalled drives and flipped momentum in previous games. Execution and discipline will be just as important as talent. If Chicago can play clean football and capitalize on Dallas’s weaknesses, they’ll give themselves a real chance to control the game.
In Sum
The Bears are tied with the Philadelphia Eagles as the number one redzone TD scoring offense. They will need to continue this trend in what is being touted as a shootout at Soldier Field. This game is America’s game of the week on Fox and is an opportunity for the Bears to show fight, and improvement to gut out a win. I picked this game as a win for the Bears prior to the season and I’m ready to get hurt again. If the offense doesn’t stall, and the Bears don’t beat themselves, I got the Bears wining at home in a critical must-win shootout against the Cowboys 30-27.
