Ben Johnson and the Chicago Bears were not in action on Sunday in Week 7, having already secured their victory over the New England Patriots on “Thursday Night Football,” but Ben Johnson’s crew got plenty of noteworthy news.
Their spot in the division has been secured for the time being.
Meanwhile, the NFL landscape gained some much-needed clarity as the trade deadline approaches, with less than one month to go.
Bears Get Good News After ‘Thursday Night Football’ Win
Bears Sitting Pretty Through 7 Weeks
Johnson and the Bears now sit in second place in the NFC North following the Green Bay Packers’ loss to the Detroit Lions in Week 7.
They will still need to win their meeting on Christmas to give themselves the best chance possible in any tiebreaker scenario, but they can also finish ahead of their most-hated rivals by simply winning more games overall.
That is all that matters, particularly with the Minnesota Vikings moving to 6-0 on the season.
That is another rematch the Bears are surely looking forward to, but it will not come until Week 18 and in Minnesota.
Then there are the Lions, Johnson’s former team. They are the only one in the North the Bears have yet to beat under the second-year head coach. The Bears will not face the Lions this season until Week 12, one week after facing DC Dennis Allen’s former team, the New Orleans Saints.
NFL Trade Deadline Could Be Rich
The Bears could have plenty of trade partners before the November 10 deadline, including the 0-6 Los Angeles Chargers.
There are 12 teams with two or fewer wins, including the Chargers. Each of them could have someone that intrigues the Bears. The Bears’ ability to withstand the loss of Caleb Williams for three weeks has them in a position of strength.
That is, if Bears general manager Ryan Poles pulls the trigger.
The Bears still have to plan for the future, including what figures to be a franchise-altering extension for Williams.
Bears Get Preview of Week 8 ‘Monday Night Football’ Matchup
The Bears were able to get a fitting preview of their Week 8 opponent. That is the reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks, who they will face on “Monday Night Football.” The Seahawks defeated Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs on “Sunday Night Football.”
Seattle’s defense harassed Mahomes, to whom Williams has frequently drawn comparisons, into 50% completion, 1 interception, and 1 fumble (recovered).
Seahawks defensive back Nick Emmanwori is of particular concern.
He lines up all over the defense and, like Allen, Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald is not shy about dialing up pressure from anywhere in the defense at any spot on the field to affect the opposing quarterback.
The Seahawks offense also features reigning Offensive Player of the Year Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who tallied 150 yards and 1 touchdown on nine receptions on Sunday night. The Bears secondary got torched by the Packers in Week 5 (and the Carolina Panthers in Week 1), and neither has a complete threat like Smith-Njigba is.
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