Forward Progress: At 8-3 the Chicago Bears Should Be Thinking Playoffs and More

Podcast: Forward Progress – A Chicago Bears Podcast
Hosts: Dan Bernstein & Matt Abbatacola
Episode Date: November 24, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, Dan Bernstein and Matt Abbatacola dive deep into the Chicago Bears’ eighth win of the season, a closely contested 31-28 victory over the Steelers, pushing the team to an 8-3 record. They passionately debate what this means for Chicago’s playoff (and, potentially, Super Bowl) aspirations, analyze Ben Johnson’s impressive coaching job, evaluate Caleb Williams’ accuracy struggles and growth, and discuss why opportunities like this season are so rare for the franchise. Expect a no-excuses tone: the message is clear—this isn’t about “development” any longer. The Bears should be thinking big.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Bears’ Win Over the Steelers: Scrappy but Satisfying

• [01:43] Matt sets the table: “It was a strange game from Jump and there were people out there of whom you have never heard … But they beat a winning team and they can be proud of it.”
• [02:29] Dan notes the depleted Bears defense still found a way: “one of your reserve linebackers who starts goes out. It was just a really bizarre game and they were able to just do enough defensively to keep the Steelers down.”
• [03:21] Dan questions Pittsburgh’s choices: “The Steelers came out one of the Worst running games in the NFL ran for 186 yards against the Bears… And why they kind of went away from the run … I’ll never understand. Mike Tomlin is being lit up in Pittsburgh…”

2. Coaching: Ben Johnson’s Masterclass

• [04:08] Matt compares the Bears’ record to their point differential: “The fact that The Bears are 8 and 3 with a negative point differential is a testament to the job Ben Johnson is doing… He has coached this team to a record above and beyond that.”
• [05:00] Dan’s praise: “This is what it looks like to have a legitimate NFL head coach at the top of your organization. One of the top play callers in the league right now in Ben Johnson.”
• [12:17] Ben Johnson on Montez Sweat, via press conference: “He’s been heating up since the bye week… you just felt it each week. He seems to impact the game a little bit more each week.”

3. The Upcoming Test: Eagles on a Short Week

• [06:39] Matt lowers the bar: “I’m not holding them to a victory standard in this game. I just want the Bears to acquit themselves professionally and just don’t look like this is the class hike that we all know it is.”
• [07:54] Dan pushes for higher expectations: “Why can we not hold them to a standard of victory in this game on Friday? Why not? You’re eight and three and you’re in first place…”

4. Missed Opportunities and Game Management

• [08:23] Matt: “The Bears aren’t shying away from what they didn’t do well… They know what they left on the field.”
• [09:25] Dan on game-ending plays: “Caleb Williams also had an opportunity to complete a pass … a really bad throw. You get that first down… that ends the game. … That was a complete train wreck at the end for them.”
• [10:01] Matt on near interception to end the game: “Had Brisker not tipped that? Was [Nishan Wright] going to pick it off? I think it was.”

5. Ben Johnson on Caleb Williams’ Performance

• [10:19] Ben Johnson: “31 points on offense … always a good thing… we probably had a couple that we let get away from us… I don’t know many quarterbacks that do play a perfect game.”
• [11:17] On turnovers: “Just hold on to the ball… We can’t have them… they’re not okay. So we’re well aware of that.”
• [11:44] On Montez Sweat: “He’s been heating up since the bye week… it felt like out there from my count. But it’s good to see that come on just like that.”

6. Play Design: Turning Weakness into Strength

• [14:34] Buddy from Rockford’s email praised Ben Johnson’s “glimpse inside the brain” for successfully running a screen play the Bears had previously failed with.
• [16:00] Matt: “The capital that you build up just by showing that play. For every opponent… they keep showing this, and now they’ve got a counter.”
• [16:23] Dan: “So now not only running it successfully, but just showing it… that guy now hesitates and pauses for a second, and maybe that half a step is all that guy needs.”

7. The “Development” Debate: What Should the Bears Expect?

• [16:41] Matt: “If you lucked into an 8 and 3 … how do you make it matter that you’re ahead of schedule where every season is precious? … Bears fans know… with the Eagles kicking your ass. That’s how it happens.”
• [17:39] Dan challenges the patience for Caleb Williams: “He’s 28 games into his NFL career… He’s had enough time now. … When he misses opportunities to get downfield… I get frustrated with Caleb Williams…”

8. Caleb Williams’ Self-Assessment and Expectations

• [22:35] Matt reads Caleb Williams’ own accountability: “It starts with me and it falls down to everybody else. Missing a few passes, a couple passes that recently I’ve been kind of surgical with. Missed those passes today. It was frustrating but I’m trying to stay positive for the guys.”
• [23:02] [Caleb Williams Audio/Quote] “You don’t apologize for any wins in this league… But you do understand where you can be as a team. … And that’s the frustrating part. You know, it starts with me… missing a few passes… it was frustrating but, you know, trying to stay positive for the guys… we have so much left in the tank and we can be so much better.”
• [24:14] Dan: “Caleb Williams is not satisfied… This is not about the development of the quarterback anymore… You’re 8 and 3, this season is now changed.”

9. The Urgency of 8-3: Opportunity is Rare

• [25:28] Matt: “I think a lot of things can be true … nobody had the Bears 8 and 3. … A lot of this is found money. A lot of this is them playing over their head in large part due to their schedule and it’s okay. … There’s no apologies for that.”
• [30:12] Dan: “We got to keep getting better. Like I said, you know, it starts with me on my side and then, you know, we’ll keep growing from there.”
• [31:24] Matt: “Your issues at left tackle may have just accelerated the rise of your eventual planned starter…”

10. Accuracy Questions and the Ceiling for Caleb Williams

• [18:32] Matt: “Accuracy. He’s just gotta be… I don’t know if it’s learning anything correct.”
• [19:03] Dan: “When guys are open and he has chances to gain yards downfield and he doesn’t throw a good ball… You’re 8 and 3. Like, this season is now changed. It’s a different season now.”
• [27:19] Matt: “That’s what frustrates me, that we get to a nature versus nurture question about accuracy. … I’m concerned about the nature of his accuracy problems. Why it just pops up. Why stop missing open receivers? That’s because there’s no explanation.”
• [34:04] Completion percentage criticism:
  • Dan: “He’s at 59.2%… Ben Johnson set the expectation of 70% going into the season… That’s the expectation.”

11. The Matthew Stafford Model—Or Warning

• [36:37] Dan reminds listeners Detroit traded away their number one overall pick, Matthew Stafford, despite his stats, because ‘not good enough’: “He could walk into Halas Hall today and be the best quarterback that’s ever played the game for the Bears by far… And yet they said, you know what? That’s not good enough for us. You don’t know when this chance is coming again. You’re 8 and 3 now. You’re going to the playoffs. You’ve got to be better.”
• [38:23] Matt: “Stafford got his ring, he’s going to have the gold jacket.”

12. The NFC/NFL Big Picture

• [41:09]–[47:00] Brief whip-around of other Week 12 NFL results and playoff implications:
  • Eagles’ loss likely to have them angry and motivated for Friday.
  • Seahawks “might win this whole thing.”
• [42:24] Matt: “This one is… I hate the term measuring stick games, but Bears gotta play well. … I'm not going to get hung up in the outcome, but they've got to play well.”

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• On Expectations:

  • Dan Bernstein [07:54]: “Why can we not hold them to a standard of victory in this game on Friday? … You want to be a big boy?”
  • Matt Abaticola [22:35] quoting Caleb Williams: “It starts with me and it falls down to everybody else… I’ve been kind of surgical with [those passes] and missed those passes today. It was frustrating but I’m trying to stay positive for the guys.”

• On accuracy and growth:

  • Dan Bernstein [18:38]: “There is nothing to learn. … we’re not asking him to make the most difficult pass in football… We’re talking about when guys are open… and he doesn’t throw a good ball.”
  • Matt Abaticola [27:21]: “[Accuracy] just pops up. … There's no explanation. That's not about… Ben Johnson. It's not familiarity with teammates. I don't know what I'm talking about in the accuracy questions.”

• On Play Design:

  • Matt Abaticola [14:34] (paraphrasing emailer): “Further proof Ben Johnson’s seeing what we’re seeing and… turning a weakness into a strength.”
  • Dan Bernstein [16:23]: “Just showing it… that guy now hesitates and pauses for a second, and maybe that half a step is all that guy needs.”

• On Rarity of Opportunity:

  • Dan Bernstein [32:43]: “The Bears have gone to the playoffs 16 times [since 1967]… They’ve had 14 seasons of 10-plus wins in the Super Bowl era… This doesn’t happen with this organization.”
  • Dan Bernstein [38:25]: “You don't know when this chance is coming again. You're eight and three now. You're going to the playoffs. You've got to be better. That's why I get frustrated with Caleb Williams.”

Important Timestamps for Major Segments

• [01:43] Episode kicks off: Bears are 8-3 after Steelers win
• [02:29]–[06:39] Recap and stakes of the Pittsburgh game, divisional implications
• [10:19]–[12:17] Ben Johnson postgame press conference (on Williams, turnovers, defense)
• [14:18]–[16:23] Play breakdown: WR screen, how Ben Johnson adjusted
• [16:41]–[17:39] Why 8-3 matters; how to capitalize on “found money” season
• [18:32]–[19:03] Williams’ accuracy: skill or teachable?
• [22:35] Williams and Loveland’s self-criticism after the win
• [23:02]–[24:14] Caleb Williams’ press conference audio
• [27:19]–[28:19] Nature vs. nurture: can accuracy be taught?
• [30:12]–[35:41] Roster stability, offensive expectations, and why it’s not about development anymore
• [36:37]–[38:25] Stafford as a cautionary tale about “not enough,” parallels for Williams
• [41:09]–[47:00] NFL Week 12 recap, playoff picture

Tone & Takeaways

• Passionate, unfiltered, and at times exasperated—especially regarding the need for higher standards for a winning Bears team.
• Deeply analytical: detailed on both stats and play-calling, but shot through with lifelong Bears-fan frustration and hope.
• Relentless in holding both the quarterback and the organization accountable. The central message: No more excuses, no more “rebuilding” talk. At 8-3, the Bears owe it to themselves, their teammates, and their fans to aim higher. As Dan put it: “You just don’t know what’s going to happen beyond this year. … This may be the shot.”

For Bears fans, this episode is a rallying cry: enjoy the ride, but demand excellence—because seasons like this don’t come around often in Chicago.