The Chicago Bears have spent much of Ben Johnson's tenure trying to prove they can compete with the NFL's better teams. Thursday night's 30-24 victory over the New England Patriots offered another reason to believe they're getting closer.
But the final score wasn't necessarily the most encouraging part.
Chicago didn't dominate for four quarters. The Patriots made things uncomfortable, and there were moments when another promising performance threatened to unravel.
Yet the Bears found a way to finish the job.
For Johnson, that might be worth more than another victory in the standings.
Ben Johnson is learning what his Bears can handle
Two weeks ago, Chicago looked completely overmatched against Green Bay. The Packers handed the Bears a 31-7 defeat that raised questions about how much progress Johnson's team had actually made.
Then came Atlanta.
Chicago responded with a 31-23 victory, although the Bears nearly squandered a 24-point fourth-quarter lead. What should have been an easy afternoon became unnecessarily stressful.
Thursday presented another opportunity to see whether those late-game struggles were becoming a pattern.
New England wasn't going to disappear simply because Chicago built an advantage.
And it didn't.
The Patriots continued fighting, forcing the Bears to execute in situations where one mistake could have changed everything.
Chicago wasn't perfect. Not even close.
But Johnson is discovering that his team can survive games when things don't unfold according to plan.
That's something the Bears haven't consistently demonstrated in recent seasons.
The Bears are finding different ways to win
Johnson arrived in Chicago with a reputation for designing creative offenses. His success in Detroit made him one of the NFL's most coveted coaching candidates.
But coaching a winning football team requires considerably more than drawing up impressive plays.
The Bears have needed contributions from nearly every position group over their past two victories.
Against Atlanta, Kyler Gordon's three sacks helped preserve a win that nearly slipped away. Special teams created two turnovers, and the defense eventually delivered when Chicago needed it most.
Thursday brought another collection of contributors.
Luther Burden III found the end zone. Colston Loveland added a touchdown, and Cairo Santos connected on a career long 58 yard field goal that gave Chicago valuable points.
Caleb Williams didn't have to manufacture something spectacular every time the offense touched the football.
That's encouraging.
The Bears have invested heavily in surrounding Williams with talent. Johnson's offense is supposed to make life easier for its quarterback, not require him to rescue every possession.
Chicago is beginning to show what that can look like.
Chicago still has a problem closing out games
There's a difference between being resilient and repeatedly putting yourself in situations where resilience becomes necessary.
The Bears are walking that line.
They nearly gave away a comfortable lead against Atlanta, and New England had opportunities to make Thursday's game considerably more painful.
Johnson shouldn't be satisfied with either finish.
Good teams survive mistakes. Great teams eventually stop making the same ones.
Chicago has shown it can respond when opponents punch back. The next step is preventing those opponents from getting so many opportunities.
That's especially important with tougher games ahead.
Ben Johnson's biggest discovery could change Chicago's season
At 5-2, the Bears have put themselves in an encouraging position.
Williams looks increasingly comfortable running Johnson's offense. Younger players are contributing, and Chicago has responded to an embarrassing defeat with consecutive victories.
More importantly, the Bears are learning how to handle adversity.
Johnson can prepare his players for almost any situation during practice. What he can't recreate is the pressure of protecting a narrow lead with an entire game hanging in the balance.
Chicago has experienced that pressure in consecutive weeks and emerged with two victories.
The Bears still have plenty to correct, particularly when it comes to closing out opponents.
But Johnson might be discovering something about his locker room that matters more than another October win.
His players are beginning to believe they can win even when they aren't playing their best football.
Now they need to prove they can do it consistently.
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