Ben Johnson and the Chicago Bears got great news on Monday with their victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on “Sunday Night Football” in Week 9 well in hand.
The Buffalo Bills handed the Minnesota Vikings their second loss in a row and of the season on “Monday Night Football.” That dropped the once-6-0 Vikings to 6-2. More importantly, though, it pushed the Bears to the top of the NFC North standings.
The Bears enter their bye week at 7-2. They lead the division despite being 0-2 against their rivals from the North, specifically the Vikings and Green Bay Packers.
Good News Leads News Roundup for Ben Johnson, Bears
Bears Leapfrog Vikings to Lead News Roundup
The Bears suffered their first loss of the 2026 season in Week 2 against the Vikings, also losing quarterback Caleb Williams to a hamstring injury after he had driven them down the field into goal-to-go range.
They suffered their second loss three weeks later, on the road against the Packers.
The Bears are 5-0 in games that Williams has finished this season, but those two losses figure to loom large for the rest of the regular season.
That is why the Vikings’ loss to the Bills is so significant. The Bears will not face the Vikings again until Week 18, the regular-season finale. They will host the Packers on Christmas Day, and they still have their matchups against the Detroit Lions in Weeks 12 and 17.
With the Bears on bye, the Week 10 slate is also worth monitoring.
The Lions will be the road team in a matchup against the New England Patriots–whom the Bears defeated in Week 7, which could matter for tie-breakers– in an international series matchup from Germany.
Meanwhile, the Vikings will visit the Packers in a rematch of their Week 1 showdown, which the Vikings won 39-22. Minnesota’s offense has yet to match that offensive output since.
The Bears will benefit from that matchup no matter who wins, but a Vikings loss keeps Johnson and Co. in first place.
Bears Get Blunt Message Before Trade Deadline
The Bears continue to be a team fans want to see swing another trade before the deadline on November 10.
“Up & Adams” host Kay Adams joined the push for a reunion with Khalil Mack.
However, Mack has made it clear that he wants to remain with the Los Angeles Chargers, whom the Bears traded him to in 2022, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Ian Rapoport.
“The Chargers have prioritized keeping Mack for the leadership he provides and talent he brings, characterizing him as a pillar of the organization. They might be winless, but they are not acting that way in trade discussions regarding any of their players,” Schefter and Rapoport wrote on November 7.
“Los Angeles also doesn’t like the message of giving up on the season.”
That was before the Chargers fell to 0-8 on the season with their loss to the Houston Texans in Week 9, though.
Bears Get Warning After Win
The Bears’ win over the Buccaneers has sparked some strong commentary, mostly regarding how disjointed their offense looked amid 5 turnovers, including a career-high 4 interceptions from Williams.
The Athletic’s Robert Mays argued that the game exposed previous issues with interior pass protection and an inefficient run game.
Mays believes the Buccaneers showed a blueprint for beating the Bears, and he is not alone.
Mays noted that the Bears had faced the No. 1 team in Defensive DVOA–the Seattle Seahawks and Tampa Bay Buccaneers–in back-to-back weeks, and the absence of Kyle Monangai and his explosive interior running style could help explain the emergence of both issues.
Whatever the cause, Johnson must use some of the time off to devise a way for the Bears to avoid teams emulating what the Buccaneers and the Vikings before them have done.
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