Sunday night hurt… The Chicago Bears’ magical run ended in a 20-17 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Rams with Kam Curl stepping in front of a deep ball meant for D.J. Moore.
But it also ended with something else… Proof. Proof that the Bears are no longer chasing relevance. They’re chasing championships.
And that’s exactly what Stephen A. Smith saw when he looked past the final score: “You got a lot to be proud of, I was very proud of the Chicago Bears. And I think they’re gonna win the Super Bowl in the next three years. I truly, truly believe that.”
The mistakes that cost them
GettyBears QB Caleb Williams
Chicago outplayed Los Angeles.
417 yards to the Rams’ 309. More yards per play. More efficient running. Dominated time of possession. Dennis Allen’s defense rattled Matthew Stafford into four sacks and 11 off-target throws, holding the league’s No. 1 offense without a passing touchdown.
But Caleb Williams threw three interceptions. Two came in Rams territory. Chicago went just 3 of 6 on fourth down. A failed run. A goal line miss. An early pick. Every empty possession quietly stacked pressure onto the final moments.
The Chicago Bears didn’t lose because they weren’t good enough. They lost because they’re still learning how to win at this level. That’s the painful (but also encouraging) part.
After the game, Williams didn’t duck responsibility: “It’s a frustration. It’s a fire.”
“Going to go back and watch, figure out how I can be better for the near future and help this organization get to where we want to be.”
This is Year 2 Caleb Williams. A player who just dragged a franchise to its first playoff win in 15 years. A quarterback who already has multiple career-defining throws before his third season even begins And he’s talking like someone who knows this wasn’t the end but rather it was the beginning.
Stephen A. saw the bigger picture
GettyBears TE Cole Kmet
No one expected an 11 win season. No one expected a playoff victory. And absolutely no one expected the Bears to be a legitimate Super Bowl threat in Year 1 under Ben Johnson.
But Johnson unlocked Caleb Williams’ creativity. He built an aggressive fourth down identity. He kept Chicago swinging even when trailing. That mentality fueled seven comeback wins and nearly delivered an eighth.
Even his controversial decision Sunday (kicking the extra point instead of going for two/the win) came from self awareness. The Bears had just failed four plays inside the five on their previous possession. He chose overtime over forcing something broken. That’s coaching maturity. And Chicago hasn’t had that in a long time.
It’s easy to roll your eyes at Super Bowl predictions right after a season-ending interception. But Stephen A. Smith wasn’t reacting to Sunday. He was reacting to what Chicago has become.
Championship windows open with the kind of loss that sticks. The kind that changes how players train, how coaches prepare, how locker rooms grow up.
Caleb Williams will carry this into Year 3. Ben Johnson will build from it. This roster will remember exactly how close they were.
The Chicago Bears will come back. And next time, they’re not coming to surprise anyone… They’re coming to finish the job.
Stephen A. Smith Just Said What Everyone Was Thinking About the Chicago Bears