1st-and-10: The best Bears loss since the Ditka era

When Mike Ditka’s 1984 Bears played the 49ers in the NFC Championship Game, their 23-0 loss at Candlestick Park might not have seemed like a prelude to greatness — the Bears’ put up a fight in the first half but never really threatened with Steve Fuller at quarterback. But to Ditka it was a statement game. And he literally made it.

“We will be back,” Ditka said confidently after that game. 

Those Bears famously kept that promise, of course, and set a standard for success that no Bears team has been able to match since. Ben Johnson’s 2025 Bears are a long way from that, but took a big step in that direction Sunday night with the biggest “statement loss” since that disappointing day in San Francisco. 

Johnson’s Bears have been “for real” since a 24-15 victory over the defending champion Eagles on Nov 28 at Lincoln Financial Field. But in going toe-to-toe with Kyle Shanahan’s 49ers in a thrilling 42-38 loss at Levi’s Stadium, the Bears made almost a bigger statement in defeat than they did in victory against the Eagles: With this coach and this quarterback, they are a team to not just be respected but feared. Even if they can’t stop you, they’re still a threat to outscore you. 

The feeling of excitement over that possibility from Bears fans and anyone who has lived and died with this team over the years was palpable in the aftermath of Sunday’s game. For Bears fans of almost any age, it’s a brand of football they’ve only seen from the wrong side — the fear of giving the other quarterback too much time. This is like a new toy.

Bears fans can’t remember feeling so good after a loss. In 2018, the 24-23 loss to the Packers in Matt Nagy’s opener was overall a positive sign of improvement after going 6-10, 3-13 and 5-11 under John Fox. But losing a 20-0 lead took the edge off the excitement.

In 2006, Lovie Smith’s 9-1 Bears gave Tom Brady and the Patriots a challenge in a 17-13 loss at Gillette Stadium, but Rex Grossman’s three interceptions was a “Bad Rex” moment that doused any flame of optimism. 

In 2001, Dick Jauron’s Bears opened with a credible 17-6 loss to the defending Super Bowl champion Ravens in Baltimore that breathed hope for progress after five consecutive losing seasons. And the Bears ended up going 13-3. But that was another team with a defense propping up the offense and a shaky quarterback situation, with no staying power. 

This is not that. Or any of those. You have to go back to the Ditka era to find a loss that elicited more hope than dread and opened eyes around the NFL. 

Reality check: The Bears are unlikely to survive in the postseason without a better defensive performance than Sunday night against the 49ers. But the strength of this team is and will be its offense, and Johnson’s not going anywhere. As it stands right now, “We will be back” seems like a fair statement in defeat.

2a. Caleb Williams has been a clutch performer in crunch time throughout this season, with an NFL record six fourth-quarter comebacks. But even in coming one play short against the 49ers, he took his biggest step yet in developing the “it” factor as a quarterback who can put a team on his back and strike fear in opposing defenders and defensive coordinators. He met the moment in a playoff-charged atmosphere, virtually from start to finish. 

His performance included an Aaron Rodgers Special — turning a free play into a 36-yard touchdown pass to tight end Colston Loveland after drawing the 49ers offside in the second quarter. Just going for the home run in that situation is an improvement for Bears quarterbacks. And even when they did, it went awry. In 2021, Justin Fields thought he had a free play against the Packers at Soldier Field and threw into the end zone, where his pass was intercepted by safety Darnall Savage. Just his luck, there was no Packers penalty, so it wasn't a free play and the interception stood. The Bears lost 24-14 in the "I own you" game. Williams' touchdown to Loveland is another example of how much he and Johnson have changed things for the Bears.

2b. Speaking of Rodgers, Williams continues to emulate Rodgers' uncanny knack for avoiding interceptions. He has thrown six interceptions in 351 attempts — a 1.1% interception rate that leads the NFL. (Rodgers is the NFL's all-time leader in lowest interception percentage — 1.4% — leading the NFL in that category six times). Williams percentage is the same as last season, but his yards per attempt has increased from 6.3 to 7.0, and his sacks have decreased from 68 to 23.

Williams threw for 330 yards without an interceptions against the 49ers — the fourth time in 33 career starts he has thrown for 300-plus yards without an interception. He's tied with Brian Hoyer (who did it four times in four complete games with the Bears in 2016) for the most times throwing for 300 or more yards without an interceptions. Jay Cutler did it three times in 104 starts with the Bears over eight seasons.

3a. Bears starters could probably use a break after playing 12 consecutive weeks with the Week 5 bye, but Johnson said he’ll go all out against the Lions on Sunday, with the No. 2 seed in the NFC at stake.

A Bears loss and Eagles victory over the Commanders would drop the Bears to the No. 3 seed — which would put a potential Bears-Eagles rematch in the divisional round at Lincoln Financial Field instead of Soldier Field. 

3b. By starting in Week 18, Williams will become the first Bears quarterback to start every game in back-to-back seasons since Bob Avellini in 1976-77, when the NFL schedule was 14 games. Williams has started 33 consecutive games, third on the Bears’ all-time list behind Avellini (42) and Bill Wade (37).

Still, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to get Tyson Bagent some meaningful snaps, just in case. Bagent has thrown six passes in the last 43 games, since his last start against the Panthers in 2023. And after seeing Brock Purdy — the last pick of the 2022 NFL draft — excelling in Shanahan’s offense, there’s always intrigue in seeing Bagent operate in Ben Johnson’s offense, no matter how proficient Williams is. 

4. The Ben Johnson Effect I: The Bears have four receivers with 600 or more receiving yards for the second time in franchise history — DJ Moore (671), Rome Odunze (661), Loveland (622) and Luther Burden (617). That matches the 2014 Bears under Marc Trestman — Alshon Jeffery (1,133), tight end Martellus Bennett (916), running back Matt Forte (808) and Brandon Marshall (721). 

5. The Ben Johnson Effect II: Though the Bears failed to score on their opening drive for the eighth consecutive game, they still scored 14 points in the first quarter to give them 102 first-quarter points this season — fourth best in the NFL. They were dead last with 27 first-quarter points last season. 

6. For Trivia Buffs Only: With T.J. Edwards’ pick-6 against the 49ers following Caleb Williams’ walk-off touchdown pass against the Packers, the Bears scored a touchdown on consecutive plays from scrimmage for the first time since 2012 — when Jay Cutler threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to tight end Kellen Davis and cornerback Tim Jennings returned an interception of Cam Newton 25 yards for a touchdown on the next play from scrimmage (eight seconds later) in a 23-22 victory over the Panthers at Soldier Field. 

The Bears also pulled that off in 2005 vs. the Lions (Kyle Orton-to-Muhsin Muhammad TD/Mike Brown pick-6); 1991 vs. the Vikings (Neal Anderson rush TD/Lemuel Stinson pick-6); and 1989 vs. the Vikings (Brad Muster rush TD/Stinson pick-6) 

Fun Fact: The Bears scored touchdowns on consecutive plays (including kickoffs) in 1980 against the Lions at the Silverdome, when Vince Evans scored on a four-yard run to tie the game on the final play of regulation and Dave Williams returned the overtime kickoff 95 yards for a game-ending touchdown. 

7. Luther Burden’s return was all it took to make DJ Moore look expendable again. A week after Moore had five receptions for 97 yards and a game-winning 46-yard touchdown to remind everyone of his value, Moore had one reception for seven yards on four targets against the 49ers.

Burden, as demonstrative as Moore is mellow, had eight receptions for 138 yards and a 35-yard touchdown on nine targets against the 49ers. As a rookie, he is becoming as dynamic in Johnson’s offense as you would think Moore would be after being productive in bad offense throughout his NFL career. Even for the very best players, success in the NFL is often circumstantial. 

8. Quick Hits: Left guard Joe Thuney and center Drew Dalman are the Bears’ first offensive lineman to be named to the initial Pro Bowl roster since guard Kyle Long in 2014 — and the first pair of Bears offensive lineman voted in since 2001, when center Olin Kreutz and right tackle James “Big Cat” Williams made it. … The Bears are 0-2 when they get a pick-6 this season. The rest of the NFL is 16-4. … Brock Purdy and the Vikings’ J.J. McCarthy had a combined 141.4 passer rating after throwing a pick-6 against the Bears (five touchdowns, no interceptions). … The 49ers having Robbie Gould as an honorary captain against the Bears was a low-key troll that shouldn’t be forgotten. … The Bears starting offensive line has played a season-high 369 consecutive meaningful snaps heading into the regular-season finale against the Lions, and played every snap for the 11th time this season. The Bears have lost 32 o-line snaps to in-game injuries this season. They lost 335 last season. 

9. Josh McCown Ex-Bear of the Week: Niners tight end Jake Tonges, playing in place of injured All-Pro George Kittle, burned the Bears with seven receptions for 60 yards and a touchdown in a 42-38 victory. But his performance bodes well for the Bears — an example of how offenses like Kyle Shanahan’s and Ben Johnson’s can turn back-ups into productive players. 

Tonges was a bit player as an undrafted rookie on the practice squad with the Bears in 2022 — no receptions on one target in 16 offensive snaps. He was waived with an injury settlement in training camp in 2023 and signed with the 49ers a month later. Tonges had no receptions and just 50 offensive snaps coming into this season, but has 34 receptions for 293 yards and five touchdowns in 16 games (two starts) in 2025. 

10. Bear-ometer — 12-5: vs. Lions (W).

---