Micah's takeaways from Caleb Williams and Bears' first division win of the season

The Bears run game is solidified

The Bears’ run game was the deciding factor for their win against Minnesota offensively. Kyle Monangai and D’Andre Swift made play after play to keep the Bears offense afloat. It is nice that now the Bears can lean on this run game when Caleb is struggling. That gives Caleb more time for his development, and this team can keep winning football games with how dominant the Bears’ run game is. It is no longer a fluke; this team now has a run game that can have success against any defense. It has been very refreshing to witness.

Get Colston Loveland the ball more

Colston Loveland has been one of the Bears’ biggest playmakers in the last few stretches of games. He consistently makes plays, and his yard after the catch ability is extremely impressive. The play he made on 3rd and 14, taking a pass from Caleb in the Bears’ own endzone for 24 yards, just sums up how special of a player he is. The Bears do not give him the ball enough, and once they do, he can be a 1000-yard receiving tight end. Moving forward, do not be surprised when he becomes Caleb’s number one target and go-to guy.

Nahshon Wright had a great game

Nahshon Wright has not been the most consistent player on the Bears’ defense, but if everything were as it should be, he would have been just a rotation corner instead of a day 1 starter. Being one of the last additions to the Bears squad, he has still exceeded expectations this season. He has 4 interceptions on the season, tied for the second most in the NFL, 43 tackles, and 8 pass deflections. Nahshon Wright had his best game against the Vikings as he picked off J.J. McCarthy for the second time this season, the first time being a pick-six. This time around, Wright made a great play, high-pointing the ball and using his great length and height to steal an interception in the red zone. To make Nahshon Wright’s success against Minnesota even sweeter, Minnesota had released him back in April. Wright’s big game was also a huge emotional one due to losing his former Juco Coach, who immensely impacted him. The Bears’ secondary is about to get healthier and get serious reinforcements back, but with how Wright has played, he will still be a player who is out on that field making plays.

Kevin Byard could be All-Pro this season

Kevin Byard has been one of the best stories on this Bears defense this season. He leads the NFL with 5 interceptions, and he has been the leader of this turnover movement for the Bears’ defense. Byard, this season, looks like he has reverted to his prime days in Tennessee. Being under Dennis Allen’s aggressive scheme has definitely helped, too. The Bears’ defense has been able to survive the many injuries to pivotal players because of players like Byard stepping up. Byard is coming up on a contract year, and I would not be surprised if the Bears prioritized extending Byard over Brisker.

Opponents cannot give the Bears any time on the clock

The Bears are now a team that, to get the victory, you have no choice but to drain the clock. When the Bears were down 17-16 with 50 seconds left on the clock, before the kick return, confidence was high in this team’s chances to win the football game. This team is now the king of the 4th quarter. In the 4th quarter, it felt like Caleb Williams wanted to have a comeback moment, as did the defense, letting J.J. McCarthy put together a drive to get the lead. It has been so refreshing to see a team that in the last couple of years seemed like the unluckiest team in the NFL, with the majority of their losses under Matt Eberflus, to now being the luckiest team in the NFL. Winning almost 5 games in clutch situations can’t be just luck, right? The Bears will get the recognition they deserve if they have a clutch win versus the Packers, Lions, or Eagles. Until then, this team will be just the lucky team.