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Things could not be trending in a better direction for the Chicago Bears. They have been tested over the last three weeks, and they are only getting better. Former Trojan Caleb Williams has taken this team to the next level, and adding defender Jeffery Simmons has already paid off. The Bears have a real shot at being the last team standing come February.
Here is what we learned about the Bears in Week 8:
It is hard to say there is a quarterback who is playing better than Caleb Williams since he returned from injury. In his last 3 games, he has been nearly mistake-free and super efficient as a passer. He has taken what the defense has given him and made even the best defenses look silly. He threw for the most yards the Seahawks defense has allowed all season. 4 passing touchdowns and 860 passing yards in the last 3 weeks is really impressive. Caleb has entered top-5 quarterback talks now, and it looks like he has no intention of leaving that.
The Bears are coming off back-to-back games against the top 2 defenses in the NFL. The Bears' offense put up 2 30-point performances in those games. This offense has not even been at its full strength with running back Kyle Monangai out with an injury. The passing attack has been successful against everybody; this offense has found consistent magic. No matter what is thrown their way, they will have the right solution. That is what makes this team so dangerous.
Caleb Williams play has elevated the entire offense. The biggest beneficiaries have been the young pass catchers. Against a really good Seattle Seahawks secondary, Rome Odunze, Colston Loveland, and Luther Burden all shone. Rome constantly made big catches in this game, and Luther found the end zone again. Loveland had a bad fumble at the end, but minus that play, he was really good. The pass catchers are showing that the Bears have elite weapons this season.
It did not take long for Jeffery Simmons to show he was worth the high price Ryan Poles paid to get him. 6 tackles, 1 sack, and a pass deflection is a very impressive debut. However, the impact he had on the Bears' defense was much more impressive. The Bears have gone from being an above-average defense to potentially an elite one with Simmons. Simmons has now given the Bears juice on the defensive line and taken a lot of pressure off of Dennis Allen.
If Ryan Poles is going to make another move, it should be to address the corner position. The injury bug has hit that position group, and they have not gotten the best play out of corners Jaylon Johnson and Tyrique Stevenson. The Bears can go the reunion route and bring back Nahshon Wright, who has shown he can play at his best in the Bears' defensive scheme. That would be a great move that would not cost the Bears that much.