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The Chicago Bears have an opportunity to put a major exclamation point on their 2025 regular season, facing the Detroit Lions for a second time this season with several factors in play.
After starting the season 0-2 with losses to the Minnesota Vikings and Detroit, the Bears have been one of the most entertaining teams in the NFL, including six fourth quarter comebacks as they captured the NFC North division title. This Bears team is far different than the one that first faced Detroit earlier this year, and the Lions are also much different, seeing their playoff appearance streak snapped this season.
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With still plenty to play for, here are the top reasons for optimism as the Bears look to close out the regular season with a win.
No. 2 seed up for grabs
Whether it's because he wanted to get rid of the bad taste in his team's mouth after losing to the 49ers last Sunday night, or just his relentless mindset, Bears head coach Ben Johnson is putting his starters out there vs. Detroit. With a win over the Lions, Chicago will clinch the No. 2 seed, a home playoff game at Soldier Field, and a matchup against the Green Bay Packers. Does anything else need to be said? This game matters to Johnson and the Bears players, it matters to the city of Chicago, and it should be treated like an appetizer to the playoffs. If they lose, the Bears would host the Rams of 49ers.
Revenge factor vs. Detroit
After being blown out by 31 points in their Week 2 matchup, the narrative around the Bears were that they are the same old team, even with head coach Johnson running the show. It's a far different narrative in Week 18, with the Lions out of playoff contention and Chicago having won the NFC North, Johnson has an opportunity to show his former team how much the Bears have changed. Johnson and the players will have a mindset that this is just another game, but getting a chance to get revenge against the Lions and end the regular season on a high note, could be all that is needed for motivation in this one.
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Caleb Williams could make history
For as long as they've been one of the most storied franchises in NFL history, the Bears have yet to have a quarterback throw for 4,000 yards in a single season. The watch is officially on with the starters playing on Sunday afternoon, with Caleb Williams needing just 270 yards to not only be the first in team history to surpass 4,000, but is also just 109 passing yards from breaking the single-season passing record set by Erik Kramer in 1995. Both Williams and Johnson have acknowledged what is on the line for the quarterback, but both have also downplayed it, noting that their biggest focus is on getting the win and looking ahead to the playoffs. With history on the line, the Bears could look to feed off of their high-level offensive showing from last week.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears vs. Lions: Reasons for optimism for Chicago in Week 18
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