The Chicago Bears enjoyed their bye week on a high, fueled by a 35-16 blowout of the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 6 in London.
But as they returned to Halas Hall on Monday, the Bears did so with an understanding of the steep climb ahead. Even with a 4-2 record, they’re in last place in the NFC North and must remain sharp to keep their playoff drive on track.
Matt Eberflus’ team gathered for meetings Monday and will hold its next full practice Wednesday. As we head into Week 8, here’s a look at 15 notable facts and figures.
107.0
Jayden Daniels’ passer rating, which ranks sixth in the NFL. Daniels, whom the Washington Commanders selected with the No. 2 draft pick after the Bears picked Caleb Williams in April, has completed 75.6% of his passes for 1,410 yards with six touchdowns and two interceptions. The Commanders will play host to the Bears on Sunday in Landover, Md., in a game drawing substantial hype. Daniels’ status is in question, however, after he left Sunday’s blowout of the Carolina Panthers in the first half with an injury to his ribs.
122.8
Williams’ passer rating during the Bears’ current three-game winning streak. In victories over the Los Angeles Rams, Panthers and Jaguars, Williams completed 74.1% of his passes for 687 yards with seven touchdowns and one interception. He had a 65.1 passer rating through the first three games that has now climbed to 88.7 for the season. That ranks 20th among qualifying quarterbacks.
16
Completions of at least 20 yards by Williams, including 12 during the three-game winning streak. His longest pass in the win over the Jaguars was a 31-yard touchdown to Cole Kmet. Daniels, by comparison, has 19 completions of at least 20 yards, including a season-best 66-yard strike to Terry McLaurin.
372
Rushing yards by Daniels, second among quarterbacks through Sunday’s games. Only the Baltimore Ravens’ Lamar Jackson, who entered a Monday night game with 403, had rushed for more. Earlier this month Daniels became the first player in NFL history to surpass 1,000 passing yards and 250 rushing yards in his first five games.
-140
Current odds, per FanDuel, of Daniels winning the Associated Press Offensive Rookie of the Year award. The Commanders quarterback is the favorite with Williams (+110) close behind. The next five rookies on the list: New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers (+1600), Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. (+1600), New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (+3300), Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers (+4000) and Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (+4000).
31.1
Points per game by the Commanders coming off the 40-7 trouncing of the Panthers. Washington leads the NFL in scoring through Sunday and ranks fourth in total offense (384.1 yards per game) and second in third-down conversions (48.8%).
24.7
Points per game by the Bears, which ranked 12th through Sunday’s games. That average includes Week 1 return touchdowns by Jonathan Owens (blocked punt) and Tyrique Stevenson (interception). Over the last 30 seasons, the Bears have averaged more than 24 points only four times: in 2018 (26.3 ppg), 2013 (27.8), 2006 (26.7) and 1995 (24.5).
10
Offensive touchdowns scored by the Bears over the last two games. The Bears scored five apiece in victories over the Panthers and Jaguars, marking the first time in the Super Bowl era the offense scored at least five touchdowns in back-to-back performances. The last time the Bears did so was in 1956 in wins over the San Francisco 49ers (38-21) and Rams (35-24) with running back Rick Casares and wide receiver Harlon Hill leading the way.
.375
Collective winning percentage of the six teams the Bears have faced. Their victories have come over the Tennessee Titans (1-5), Rams (2-4), Panthers (1-6) and Jaguars (2-5). They have lost to the Houston Texans (5-2) and Indianapolis Colts (4-3).
.566
Collective winning percentage of the eight opponents left on the Bears schedule. In addition to six NFC North games against the Minnesota Vikings (5-1), Detroit Lions (5-1) and Green Bay Packers (5-2), the Bears have games against the Commanders (5-2), Arizona Cardinals (2-4), Patriots (1-6), 49ers (3-4) and Seattle Seahawks (4-3). A strong case can be made that the NFC North is the league’s best division. The Bears will play all six of their division games over the final eight weeks.
13
Takeaways by the Bears, which ranked third through Sunday’s games behind the Packers (17) and Vikings (14). The Bears have seven interceptions and six fumble recoveries. Dating to last season, they have forced 32 turnovers over their last 13 games and had multiple takeaways in 10 of those games.
10
First-quarter points scored by the Bears, 30th in the league ahead of only the Rams (6) and Philadelphia Eagles (0). The Bears have yet to score first in any game and have only three points in six opening possessions. On possessions that ended in the first quarter, the Bears have nine punts, one touchdown, one field goal and one missed field goal. The Vikings lead the league with 68 first-quarter points.
3-16
Bears road record during the Matt Eberflus era. With two consecutive road games upcoming, that’s a trend they need to reverse. The Bears own an impressive eight-game winning streak at Soldier Field and haven’t lost at home since Oct. 15, 2023, when they fell 19-13 to the Vikings. But they’ve dropped four consecutive road games — not including the neutral-site “home” game in London — dating to a 12-10 defeat of the Vikings on “Monday Night Football” in Week 12 last season.
3
Bears ranking in red-zone offense heading into Monday night’s games. They have converted 12 of 17 trips inside the opponent’s 20-yard line into touchdowns (70.6%) and rank behind only the Ravens (75%) and Cleveland Browns (72.7%). Since the notorious speed option stall-out on fourth-and-goal at the 1 during a Week 3 road loss to the Colts, the Bears have gone 11-for-14 in the red zone with six 1-yard touchdowns.
5
Bears ranking in red-zone defense. Eberflus’ defense has allowed a touchdown in only seven of opponents’ 16 trips inside the 20 (43.8%). Cornerback Jaylon Johnson expressed the defense’s mindset in those situations earlier this month: “It’s just us playing pissed off in the red zone. We feel like they shouldn’t have even got there, honestly. … There’s a want and a need to get off the field in those situations.”
