If you’re still sleeping on the Chicago Bears, you must be in a damn coma. This 8-3 team just ripped off its fourth straight win — this time a 31-28 slugfest over the Pittsburgh Steelers — and they did it with half their defense duct-taped together. We’re talking no starting linebackers, backup corners, and still managed to smack around a playoff-caliber AFC team that came in hungry.
This wasn’t just a win. It was a flex. And five guys stood out like middle fingers to the league’s doubters.
1. DJ Moore
Let’s get something straight — DJ Moore didn’t just show up Sunday. He broke out like a damn jailbreak. Two touchdowns, 64 yards on five grabs, and he made a pretty decent seconday look like they were running through pudding.
Moore hadn’t scored since Week 3. That’s 7 weeks of fantasy owners crying and media yapping about Caleb Williams not trusting his WR1. All that noise? Gone. Silenced by surgical route running, a perfectly sold out-and-in for a 5-yard score, and a 25-yard burner that snapped the game open on a free play.
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Moore wasn’t just stat-padding. He re-established himself as the engine of the Bears’ passing attack. When he eats, this offense rolls — and Caleb knew it: “Getting DJ going… big for our confidence.” Damn right it is.
2. Montez Sweat
There’s dominance, and then there’s whatever the hell Montez Sweat did to Pittsburgh. Two sacks, three QB hits, and a strip-sack that turned into a 14-point swing. Man was in his bag.
Sweat’s strip-sack in the third quarter was peak predator mode — blew past Darnell Washington like he was nailed to the turf, punched the ball out of Mason Rudolph’s hands, and jumped on it himself. Dude created his own turnover buffet and feasted.
He’s now got sacks in 5 of his last 6 games. And let’s not forget, he did this with a patchwork secondary behind him and literally no starting linebackers. That’s elite disruption with the game hanging in the balance.
3. Nahshon Wright
First drive of the game, Steelers moving the ball, and boom — Nahshon Wright snatches the soul out of the stadium with a filthy one-handed interception. That’s how you set a tone.
It was his fifth INT of the year, tying him with Kevin Byard III for the NFL lead. And this wasn’t some gift-wrapped duck. Wright made a leaping, twisting grab that looked more Cirque du Soleil than cover 2. That pick flipped the field and led to an early touchdown. Momentum? Flipped. Crowd? Lit. Steelers? Shook.
He’s not just filling in for injured corners — he’s outperforming most of the league’s starters. Wright’s ball skills are top shelf, and this kind of playmaking is why the Bears D keeps punching above its weight class. Keep sleeping on him, and he’ll keep taking your lunch money.
4. D’Marco Jackson
Every now and then, the football gods hand you a storybook moment. D’Marco Jackson lived it.
Zero starts before Sunday. Barely a blip outside special teams. But with Edwards, Edmunds, and Sewell all out, the green dot was his. And holy hell, he wore it like a general — 15 tackles, calling plays, and executing like a vet.
His prep was obsessive. Dude was rehearsing plays at home like he was cramming for the SATs. And it showed. He shut down Gainwell on third-and-short, was everywhere the ball went, and kept a no-name linebacker crew glued together.
This wasn’t “next man up.” This was “next man dominates.”
5. Colston Loveland
Rookie tight end Colston Loveland is turning into the real damn deal. Four catches, 49 yards, and a big-boy touchdown where he dragged a Steelers safety into the end zone like he owed him money.
He exposed a known Pittsburgh weakness (tight ends in the slot), and Caleb found him early and often. The chemistry’s growing, and Loveland’s consistency (five straight games with at least 3 catches and 34+ yards) makes him a weapon in the middle of the field.
This kid ain’t just a chain-mover. He’s a matchup nightmare. And as the Bears gear up for a brutal end-of-season gauntlet, Loveland might be the x-factor no one saw coming.
Honorable Mentions:
Amen Ogbongbemiga: 14 tackles with zero practice reps? That’s grind.
Kyle Monangai: 3rd straight game with a rushing TD. Give the man his flowers.
Caleb Williams: Shaky completion rate, but 3 TDs, 0 picks, and serious bounce-back swagger.
Final Verdict
Four straight wins. 8-3. Top of the NFC North. And they just beat a playoff-level team with half their starters watching in hoodies.
This Bears team doesn’t just survive adversity — they turn it into highlight reels. From stars delivering in crunch time to backups balling out like starters, this Week 12 win was the blueprint of a complete team effort.
You think Philly, Green Bay, Detroit, and San Fran are looking forward to this version of Chicago? Hell no.
Strap in. The Bears aren’t just hunting playoff spots — they’re coming for blood.