Chicago Bears

Our team assessment

Article cutoff 2026-10-06

Bears | 3-1

Chicago's offense has varied far more than its 3-1 record suggests. It scored 59 in the opener, three in the next game, then 27 and 23. The long gains have remained available, 32 across the season, but the offense has not consistently turned its visits near scoring territory into touchdowns. Its defense has been steadier at limiting the damage, allowing 65 offensive points on 19 threatening possessions. Five of the team's six takeaways were defensive, with the other coming on special teams.

Sunday supplied a different kind of stress test. The Bears ran 89 plays to the Jets' 32 and rushed for 232 yards, yet scored only 23 points. Their two giveaways and two touchdowns on seven red-zone visits kept a dominant possession game from becoming a dominant scoreboard. The model's threatening-drive count uses a broader definition and removes intentional kneel endings, so it is not that red-zone count. Winning with a different quarterback is a credit to the operation. Spending almost the entire afternoon with the ball should buy more separation.

After opponent punts or failed fourth downs, Bears possessions have begun at their own 28.2, on average, across 20 competitive drives. The weekly average has varied widely, from their own 23.6 to their own 37.8. The latest game averaged their own 23.6. The resulting possession started at midfield or closer to the end zone in 1 of those 20 cases. These are actual starting spots, including punt returns, rather than a measure of the defense alone. The return unit has added 84 punt-return yards over the season. Pre-snap changes before the first run or pass affected 1 of these drives; those changes are excluded from the listed starting spots. Starts following turnovers are counted separately: 6 competitive possessions at their own 49.3 on average.

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