Windy City Gridiron
“Jahdae F****** Walker!” I shouted as the Bears tied the Packers.
“AHHHHHHHHH!” I bellowed not much later when D.J. Moore corralled the walkoff touchdown.
On both plays, Caleb Williams delivered a pass unlike most I’ve seen from a Bears quarterback.
I was hoarse for two days.
I know we’ve heard the whole “new era” claim before, including twice recently, but the arrival (actual) and Arrival (symbolic) of Caleb Williams and Ben Johnson is different from our recent forays into hope. This one feels different than Bears season flare ups. It’s not just the “Cardiac Bears” vibe full of last-season wins. We’ve had seasons defined by miracle wins — I’m looking at you, 2001!
What you’re feeling this year is a team powered by its quarterback. Consider this: during our five-game winning streak, we scored 17 touchdowns, all on offense. No defensive TDs. No special teams TDs.
That’s the Bears’ most touchdowns without a score on defense or special teams in a five-game winning streak in 70 years.
We have to go all the way back to the 1955 Bears, a club that started 0-3 and then won eight of their final nine games to finish 8-4 and a half game behind the Western Division-champion 8-3-1 L.A. Rams, back when the NFL playoffs were just the two division winners.
Back in August, I wrote about the 2025 season being an incredible anniversary year, with 1985 at the top of the list. It’s also the 70th anniversary of those 1955 Bears, notable because that was the last era of Bears football where a multi-year playoff-contending team depended so clearly on their offense and not their defense. For three seasons, 1954 to 1956, the fireworks for three strong-to-dominant Bears teams were on offense.
Since the NFL moved to the two-way era, the Bears have only finished #1 on offense twice: 1955 and 1956. Only one Bears QB has been named to the modern Pro Bowl more than once: Ed Brown, 1955 and 1956.
Where the 2025 Bears stand out as different from those teams from ‘54 to ‘56 are the performances outside of the quarterback. Those 1950s Bears had Harlon Hill, who led the NFL in receiving touchdowns in ‘54 and ‘55, led the NFL in yards per catch in ‘54 and ‘56 and was named 1st team All Pro in ‘55 and ‘56. Hill is one of three Bears to win a major MVP award, with only Sid Luckman and Walter Payton the others.
Those 1950s Bears also had Rick Casares, who as a rookie in 1955 made his first of five straight Pro Bowls, and in 1956 led the NFL in rushing, rushing touchdowns and total touchdowns. The 2025 Bears have had some huge offensive performances, but nothing on the league-leading level.
This offense depends so much more on Caleb Williams than any other Bears offense has depended on its quarterback since probably Johnny Lujack, the last Bears QB to lead the league in passing yards or passing touchdowns, and the...
