The Chicago Bears are NFC North Champions. Let that sink in for a moment.
Last year, this team went 5-12 and finished dead last in the division. Matt Eberflus was out. The franchise was in shambles. Caleb Williams was a promising rookie surrounded by chaos.
One year later? 11-4. Division champions. A home playoff game guaranteed. And a legitimate shot at the conference's No. 1 seed.
This is what happens when you hire the right coach.
The Ben Johnson Effect
There's a reason Ben Johnson was the most sought-after coaching candidate in the 2024 cycle. The man turned the Detroit Lions offense into a juggernaut. Now he's doing the same in Chicago—but with an even more talented quarterback.
The Bears' turnaround has been nothing short of remarkable. After starting 0-2, they've gone 11-2 over their last 13 games. Their defense leads the NFL in takeaways. Their offense ranks in the top ten in points, total yards, rushing yards per carry, and rushing yards per game.
Johnson is the first Bears head coach to win the NFC North in his debut season since Matt Nagy in 2018. Before Nagy, you have to go back to George Halas in 1920—when he literally invented the job.
That's the company Johnson now keeps. And the season isn't even over.
The Packers' Collapse Sealed It
Chicago didn't need to take the field Saturday night. They were watching from home when Derrick Henry and the Baltimore Ravens demolished Green Bay 41-24 at Lambeau.
That loss mathematically eliminated the Packers from division contention. At 9-6-1, Green Bay sits 2.5 games behind with one week remaining. It's over.
And the manner of that loss? Brutal. Jordan Love was out with a concussion. Malik Willis filled in admirably—18-of-21, 288 yards, two rushing touchdowns—but the Packers' defense had no answer for Henry, who ran for 216 yards and four touchdowns.
The Packers haven't allowed more than 24 points at home in 14 consecutive games. The Ravens hung 41 on them. That's demoralizing.
Caleb Williams: The Real Deal
Let's talk about the 2024 No. 1 overall pick, because he's been exceptional.
Caleb Williams isn't just managing games. He's making plays that have no business working. His fourth-down scramble against the Packers last week—extending the play, rolling out, finding Jahdae Walker in the corner of the end zone—was the kind of improvisation that separates great quarterbacks from good ones.
And that game-winning overtime throw to DJ Moore? Forty-six yards. Perfect placement. Ice in his veins.
Williams is developing exactly the way Chicago hoped. The arm talent was never in question. The decision-making was the concern. But under Johnson's tutelage, he's becoming a player who can carry a franchise.
The Path to the No. 1 Seed
Here's where it gets interesting.
The Bears control their own destiny for the NFC's top seed. If they beat the 49ers Sunday night and then handle the Lions in Week 18, they need just one Seattle loss to clinch home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
That would mean a first-round bye. That would mean playing every playoff game at Soldier Field. That would mean a Bears team that finished last in the division a year ago hosting the NFC Championship.
The 49ers won't be easy. San Francisco has won five straight games by double digits. Christian McCaffrey is healthy and running wild. Kyle Shanahan's offense is humming. This is as tough a test as Chicago will face all season.
But the Bears have proven they can win in any environment. They beat the Packers in overtime at Soldier Field. They've closed out games that last year's team would have lost.
A Franchise Reborn
For Bears fans who have waited since 2018 for a division title, this feels like vindication. For those who endured the Eberflus era, the Mitch Trubisky years, and countless false starts, this feels like salvation.
Ryan Poles' vision to "take the North" has finally been realized. The draft picks are paying off. The coaching hire was perfect. And the franchise that once symbolized football itself is back where it belongs.
The NFC North belongs to Chicago. And something tells me they won't be giving it back anytime soon.