Chicago Bears’ kicker Cairo Santos was named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week for Week 16. In the Chicago Bears’ win over the Green Bay Packers, Santos went 3-3 on field goals and made his lone extra point attempt in heavy wind gust conditions. Here’s a highlight of one of those field goals, from 46 yards out.

All three field goals made in that contest were critical for the Bears to remain in the game, as he scored a field goal to cut the deficit to three early in the third quarter, a field goal to cut the deficit...

Welcome back to STEP Differential. STEP stands for Sack + Turnover(x2) + Explosive Play Differential. Make sure you’re flipping through pages 2-5 to see everything broken out by component and the overall performance of the STEP Differential in individual games. Infogram below:

Maybe Ben Johnson was the difference for the Lions the last few years, maybe it is just coincidence, but it is interesting that the Bears (+47) have been able to grind out close wins while the Lions (+38) are a long shot to get into the playoffs this year after losing another close one this week. They still...

The latest Bears Banter podcast is here!

It’s a holiday week, so we wanted to make sure we got a podcast out quickly to talk about everything that happened.

Amazingly, so much happened in the past week leading up to the holidays. The Chicago Bears epically beat the Green Bay Packers. The Bears clinched a playoff spot after the Detroit Lions lost a game in those most crazy way possible. But before any of that happened, Kevin Warren decided to leverage the fans on Packers Week and threaten to move the team to Northwest Indiana.

We talk about it all...

Week 16 brought Saturday night football too Chicago as the rematch that we’d all been waiting for took place at Soldier Field. Both the Bears and the Packers clearly made adjustments to their game plans entering this one, with the Bears defense notably playing a more “bend-don’t-break” style to limit Green Bay’s opportunities for explosive plays. This worked well, but the side effect was a drastic change in time of possession in favor of the cheesier team. To put it simply, while the Bears’ defensive strategy was successful in limiting the points that the Packers were able to put on...

Ken’s Note: I’m traveling the country for the next week or so, but never fear, Denmaster Jack has you covered for all the latest. Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah to everybody!

THE DAILY SPONGIE SPECIALS

BEARSSSSSS

First impression: Bears’ Caleb Williams, Ben Johnson mesh after rocky start
Williams said early in his time with Johnson he thought the coach didn’t like him, but he has since realized Johnson’s intense focus on winning and care for players. Williams has improved, Johnson has been bullish on his long-term outlook, and the Bears are 11-4 heading into their game at the 49ers on...

This Chicago Bears team meets the moment unlike any I can remember since the Super Bowl.

Ben Johnson has the team playing confidently and with focus.

Coming off another late, near-miraculous win, the team is in the playoffs and is in position to clinch their division.

It’s going to be an interesting finish to the season, with two tough games left. But the key is that they will be playing in January.

Let’s take a look at which players are peaking at the right time.

Stock up

Cairo Santos, K – Santos made all of his kicks, going 3-for-3. Including...

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NFL. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Bears fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

Just two games left in the 2025 season, and your Chicago Bears are playoff-bound with a chance at the number one seed in the NFC, and the magic number for the NFC North crown is 1!

Could this finally be the year the Bears take the North and never give it back?

There’s a lot to like about where the franchise...

Welcome to the latest episode of Bears Over Beers! This week, join our hosts Ryan Droste and Bryan Orenchuk as they as they get you ready for week 17 of the 2025 Chicago Bears season!

Grab some spiked egg nog (or some beer) and join the boys as they celebrate the Bears clinching their entry into the NFL Playoffs. Plus, we look ahead to a huge game on Sunday Night Football this week against the San Francisco 49ers.

Come hang out with us on our 2nd City Gridiron YouTube channel and get in on the fun.

**Come hang out with...

The Chicago Bears are playoff-bound.

Ben Johnson has taken this team, in year one, from worst to potentially first, if they can win just one more game (or if Green Bay can lose one more game).

The Chicago Bears are a flawed football team. Their defense gives up too many explosive plays, their special teams are inconsistent, and their offensive passing game isn’t always cohesive.

The Chicago Bears are far from perfect, but one thing is clear this season: every NFL team is.

In the recent past, we’ve seen several juggernaut teams from the Philadelphia Eagles to the Kansas City...

The Chicago Bears are officially in the playoffs for the first time in five seasons.

It truly is a remarkable turnaround in their first season under Ben Johnson. The job he’s done transforming a locker room and building that was stuck in a cycle of mediocrity and losing.

We knew the last regime wasn’t getting the most out of the talent the roster had. But Johnson and his staff have taken it to the next level, getting the most out of a roster that’s been injured and had its depth tested at times.

Coming into the final weeks, it’s all...

1. Wow. Three days later, I still can’t quite believe the Bears won that game. After that, I’m not sure what’s better: the fact that the Bears then immediately clinched a playoff berth due to Detroit’s loss; or that Packers fans have been losing their ever-loving minds trying to cope with the “L” they just took.

2) Finally, everyone can shut up about Drake Maye not having a 300-yard passing game. Not that he NEEDED a 380-yard game to prove how well he was playing this year for the 12-3 Patriots. But the box score watchers weren’t going to be...

The resurgent Chicago Bears have some new faces representing them on the NFC’s Pro Bowl roster this year.

Center Drew Dalman, guard Joe Thuney, and safety Kevin Byard III will represent the Bears at the Pro Bowl Games this season, with the announcement coming just three days after the Bears clinched their first playoff berth in five seasons. Last year, Chicago was represented by cornerback Jaylon Johnson.

This will be the first Pro Bowl for Dalman, who spent the first four seasons with the Atlanta Falcons. He, along with Thuney, came to the Bears this offseason to help revamp a...