Dawgs By Nature
This Sunday, the Cleveland Browns are on the road as they take on the Chicago Bears in Week 15. To help preview a few topics from the Bears’ perspective, we reached out to Bill Zimmerman from Windy City Gridiron and exchanged five questions with him.
Chris: “I know the Bears had some big changes during the offseason, but what have been the top reasons for their turnaround from last year to this year?”
Bill: “This answer is simple: Ben Johnson. As a fan base, we’re in love. Ben Johnson was everything he was hyped up to be. He has set a culture that the locker room has desperately needed, the team is buying into it all, and the offense is top 10 in several different categories, which is not something we are used to in Chicago. The success that Johnson has brought in year one has put the Bears’ fan base in such a good mindset because they know the team is ahead of schedule, they are enjoying how fun this season is, and everyone has a lot of hope that we are on the cusp of something here in Chicago, where perhaps the Bears can finally have sustained success. The Bears have only had back-to-back seasons with double-digit wins once since Mike Ditka was fired in 1992.”
Chris: “What do you view as the Bears’ biggest weakness right now?”
Bill: “The pass rush. The passing game is inconsistent, the secondary can give up big plays, but the biggest issue is the pass rush, and it has been all season long. One of their starting Edges, Dayo Odeyingbo, is out for the year, and he wasn’t producing before that anyway. Grady Jarrett hasn’t made a big impact this season. Gervon Dexter doesn’t win consistently enough either. The only pass rusher the Bears have up front is Montez Sweat. Sweat is a good pass rusher; he isn’t a great pass rusher. You can expect him to affect a handful of passing plays in this game, but he certainly isn’t a game-wrecker like Myles Garrett. DC Dennis Allen relies on blitzes, largely from the secondary, to create pressure.”
Chris: “Which of the Bears’ 2025 draft picks has been the most regular contributor thus far?”
Bill: “It’s funny to say this because the Bears have had contributors from their rookie class. First round pick Colston Loveland has become a reliable target over the last few weeks, second round picks WR Luther Burden and OT Ozzy Trapilo have been positive contributors as well, but with all that being said, it’s 7th round pick RB Kyle Monangai. Over the last 8 games, Monangai has averaged 14 carries for 71 yards. That’s 5.1 yards per carry, and he’s also scored 5 touchdowns. D’Andre Swift is still the team’s primary back, but Monangai has become a great between-the-tackles runner who has given the Bears a thunder and lightning combo like Ben Johnson had in Detroit with David Montgomery and Jamhyr Gibbs. No, I am...
