The Chicago Bears last played football during the first week of January in Week 18. Following some trades and a strong draft, the team looks to improve upon their 5-12 record from last season.
It will be a tall order for new head coach Ben Johnson to take the only team from the NFC North to not win at least 11 games and turn them into a contender in such a short turnaround. Despite starting the season 4-2, Chicago faltered badly via a ten-game losing streak that ended more than just their playoff hopes.
Of their 17 games in 2024, 13 of them were decided by seven points or fewer. Furthermore, six of those games were determined by three points or less, as well.
Bears Destined for Shootout With Bengals in 2025
Only two teams in the NFL ranked in the bottom 10 in terms of total offensive yards as well as total yards allowed. That would be the Atlanta Falcons and the Cincinnati Bengals. Only one of those is on the Bears' 2025 NFL schedule.
With a 9-8 record, the Zac Taylor-coached playoff hopefuls were one of only nine teams to produce more than 6,200 yards of total offense. Cincinnati did so while being a pass-heavy offense.
Their 4,640 passing yards were most in the NFL of any offense in 2024. However, they had the third worst rushing offense, as well.
The Bengals averaged the sixth highest points per game average (27.8). They ranked up there with playoff teams like the Detroit Lions, Baltimore Ravens, Washington Commanders and the eventual Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles.
Joe Burrow returns along with his usual targets of Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Both receivers ranked in the top seven for touchdown catches. Chase hauled in a league-high 17 and Higgins recorded 10, himself.
Chicago fielded the second-worst rushing offense in terms of total yards and a bottom-eight passing offense. The Bears' front office made several moves that included trading for a pair of veterans, Jonah Jackson and Joe Thuney, to upgrade the offensive line, and drafted two capable weapons in tight end Colston Loveland and receiver Luther Burden III.
Under Johnson, look for second-year quarterback Williams to rack up both the stat sheet and scoreboard. With two teams capable of moving the ball downfield and finding the zone, while struggling to defend their own, the Bears and Bengals game could easily be a shootout.
How much Does Bears' History Have a Factor?
Of the past five times these two teams have played each other, four out of the last five times the winner has scored at least 21 points. The one time they didn't is when the winner only scored 20.
The biggest point total between these two teams came from Cincinnati when the Bengals dominated the Chicago Bears, 45-10, at the end of October during the 2009 NFL season. These two Midwest franchises collide at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati this year.