Bears topics to bring up or avoid at Thanksgiving dinner including the play of QB Caleb Williams and the current state of the defense
Chicago’s 2025 season can certainly lead to some controversial opinions during the holiday.
While the Chicago Bears won’t be in action on Thanksgiving, the team will certainly be a talking point around the league and at the dinner table after an 8-3 start to the season under new head coach Ben Johnson.
Chicago will be a massive talking point during the matchup between the Detroit Lions and the Green Bay Packers on Thursday considering both teams are hoping to knock Chicago off the top spot in the NFC North. Meanwhile, the Bears will play the following day against the Philadelphia Eagles in a game that might be their biggest of the season against the defending champs.
So, let’s discuss here some controversial Bears topics that may arise throughout the day on Thanksgiving and reach a final decision on whether it’s worth discussing that with your family.
Is Caleb Williams playing enough? Should the Bears bench him? Or any related topics
This is bound to come up at some point. Truth is, quarterback Caleb Williams is playing good enough in this new system and has been taking steady steps forward, even if some fans don’t believe it. Williams has been putting together some solid games and people are still expecting him to be perfect, something that’s not going to happen with any quarterback, so avoid any talk of benching him.
The same goes for any conversations about other quarterbacks from the 2024 draft class. Yes, we are all aware Drake Maye is playing at an MVP level and Bo Nix has led his team to a nine win start as well. Success isn’t going to look the same everywhere and for every quarterback. The Bears have a good thing going right now and Williams is a big reason why.
Verdict: Avoid
Is Ben Johnson a Coach of the Year favorite?
It’s due time we start having this conversation anyways. Multiple coaches are in the running and have a strong case for winning Coach of the Year. Mike Vrabel has his team as the #1 seed in the first season back with the New England Patriots and could secure his second award. Kyle Shanahan deserves some credit too for the way the San Francisco 49ers have battled injuries to an 8-4 start.
Ben Johnson deserves to at least be in that conversation. The Bears’ culture and locker room mentality has completely flipped after 11 games, especially since the Wee 2 blowout. This team is winning games the Bears usually find a way to lose and every week have another player stepping up as the hero. That’s a mark of great coaching and a reason the Bears are in the position they’re in.
Verdict: Talk about it
Should we be concerned about the Bears’ defense?
Watching the Bears on a weekly basis and sitting through the games, fans are probably frustrated with the play of the defense and the amount of yards and points being allowed. Yet, the team’s third-down percentage and NFL-leading takeaways number gives you something to argue about.
It’s also worth mentioning the amount of injuries the unit has been forced to overcome. In Week 12, the Bears were without four of their top linebackers and three of their top cornerbacks not to mention losing Dayo Odeyingbo and Shemar Turner for the season. The Bears are hoping to get some reinforcements back on Friday headlined by Jaylon Johnson, Kyler Gordon, and T.J. Edwards. Things are about to get scary for how Dennis Allen can call things defensively. Have some fun with this one.
Verdict: Talk about it
Can the Bears be legit playoff contenders and is it time to start thinking about the Super Bowl?
You might want to hold your horses with this one. Given the amount of losing this franchise has had in the last couple of years, it’s easy to start getting excited about the 8-3 start and current position in the NFC playoff picture entering Week 13.
There’s still a lot of football to be played before we can start talking about playoffs and the Bears have a daunting schedule the rest of the way starting on Friday. Once we see how this team looks against the Eagles and in Green Bay the following week, then we can start dreaming big in 2025.
Verdict: Avoid
Anything related to Ryan Poles and his future
The Bears made a questionable decision in the eyes of the fanbase to retain general manager Ryan Poles instead of giving Johnson a fresh pick at the man running the front office. As questionable as it was, it showed the faith Johnson had in Poles and that carries a lot of weight.
Since the two started working together, the Bears finally revamped the offensive line and added some much-needed veterans to the locker room to enforce the culture being created. Then, fans were worked up about the lack of involvement early in the season from the rookie class. I wonder how those fans feel now after seeing Colston Loveland, Kyle Monangai, Luther Burden III, etc stepping up. Poles is certainly happy to see these long-term investments already paying off, but has it been his decisions or the helping hand of his new head coach that led to these moves?
Verdict: Talk about it
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