Bears Go Back To 2024 Nightmare Scene; Can They Find Redemption?

On Monday night, Chicago goes back to the nation’s capital. The Bears are on the upswing, having won their last two games and showing resiliency. Head Coach Ben Johnson, in only four games, has created a transformative culture change. Chicago can build off it in a huge way by knocking off the Washington Commanders at the site where so much began to go wrong last season.

2025 Bears Equal Mental Toughness

Last year’s Bears were soft in all aspects, especially in mental fortitude. As soon as something went wrong, they folded. The players turned on Eberflus, who never built a connection with his team. Poor practice habits, terrible in-game planning, and knucklehead buffoonery ruled the day.

This season, Johnson made it clear that anyone not performing at their best with meticulous work habits would not play. Lack of focus and quitting when things don’t go the team’s way will not be accepted.

Chicago plays in the National Football League’s toughest division, where three teams made the playoffs last season and are likely to do so again. The Bears are much improved, but still most likely to finish last.  This year is about culture change and developing a foundation that will sustain continuous future excellence. Johnson is on the way to doing so, evidenced by his team’s bounce-back from a 0-2 start and a beatdown by the Detroit Lions.

Chicago lost a crushing season opener to the Minnesota Vikings and was embarrassed by the Lions 52-21. The Eberflus Bears would have imploded and likely gone into November before picking up a victory. The Johnson version responded with Chicago’s best game in years against the Dallas Cowboys and a thrilling comeback win against the Las Vegas Raiders. The Bears may be outclassed at times, but they will not give up under Johnson.

Stevenson Should Embrace The Nightmare

Unquestionably, during tonight’s game, much conversation will center on cornerback Tyrique Stevenson. Last year, he chose to talk trash to Commanders fans, taking him out of the Hail Mary play until it was too late. His actions were inexcusable, but they were also encouraged by a lackadaisical Eberflus environment.

Coaches who allow the little things to slip encourage players to be distracted during the bigger moments. Stevenson, a highly talented but immature player, illustrates so much of what was wrong with Eberflus.

Johnson could have easily washed his hands of Stevenson, but instead chose to work with the talent. Stevenson could have crumbled, and his career washed down the drain, but he has embraced the hard coaching. He has played extremely well this season, especially against the Cowboys, with a huge takeaway that turned the game in the Bears’ favor. He has helped the Chicago secondary navigate the absence of shutdown corner Jaylon Johnson.

Stevenson has a chance against the Commanders to wash away a lot of painful memories. Many people would try to run from a crushing event; he should welcome it with open arms. The Hail Mary debacle cultivated maturity and strength; Stevenson has combined that with exceptional talent to break out this year. Who is to say this would have happened without the fiasco? He can add an exceptional redemption story tonight and elevate his career to greater heights.

Williams Can Quiet Many Critics

Quarterback Caleb Williams also has a great opportunity on Monday evening. There is no question that Washington’s quarterback Jayden Daniels had one of the greatest rookie seasons ever last year. He took a Commanders team that had found little success in recent years to the National Football Conference Championship Game. Daniels exhibited remarkable poise and versatility in quickly becoming his team’s franchise player.

Daniels’ success led many to overlook Williams and even throw around the “bust’ label. Williams worked behind a joke of an offensive line, which allowed him to be sacked 68 times. Granted, some of the sacks were his fault as he didn’t often get rid of the ball quickly enough, but he had no stability in front of him. He became more jittery in the pocket and inaccurate on deep throws that he didn’t have time to make.   

Williams also didn’t have coaching; his offensive coordinator, Shane Waldron, never developed a game plan that could work. Eberflus never built a rapport with his rookie QB, and often, Williams felt like on an island all alone. He had no chance for success last season and embraced the change to Johnson. The results have shown.

Williams played his best game in the pros against Dallas, throwing for four touchdowns and 298 yards. He has an excellent 97.8 QB rating with eight touchdowns and two interceptions. He needs to play with more poise and accuracy, but the connection with Johnson has shown.

Williams can illustrate this in his showdown with Daniels. A strong performance tonight, even if Chicago loses, will silence many detractors. Williams showed an excellent clutch performance against the Raiders, something he also did last year against Washington before the Hail Mary.  The late-game drive to get Chicago the lead was forgotten in the frantic finish. Williams can do something about that with another chance against the quarterback he will be most compared to.  

End Of My Chicago Bears Rant

It’s not often that someone has a near-immediate opportunity to redeem terrible events. The Bears, and specifically Stevenson, have this on Monday evening. Johnson has emphasized using trials to cultivate character and toughness; his team can put that on full display against the Commanders.

Washington will not have its top wide receiver in Terry McLaurin, and may not have this season’s top wideout in Deebo Samuel. Chicago is getting back key defensive contributors in linebacker T.J. Edwards and cornerback Kyler Gordon. The Bears are also coming off a bye week, while the Commanders are coming off an intense clash with the Los Angeles Chargers. Rest and health unquestionably favor Chicago.

Going on the road against a top competitor is never easy, even more so when it is the scene of traumatic events. The Bears, if they use this as redemption fuel, may have an intensity that Washington can’t match. If Chicago gets into its head, though, especially when something goes wrong, the Bears could unravel quickly.

Many prognosticators are picking the Commanders; it makes sense. Washington is the more established team; Chicago still needs to prove consistently that it will find ways to win rather than lose. Plus, how many franchises could bounce back from such a terrible event in the same location a year later? The Commanders are the easy choice.

There is something about Johnson, though. The Bears are showing an intensity that hasn’t been seen since the Iron Mike Ditka days. This team probably isn’t ready to make a deep playoff run, but they are showing they are fighters. What better way to show a Rocky-like response than to get a victory in last year’s house of horrors? Chicago wins in a thriller, 38-35.