There might not be a better encapsulation of the topsy-turvy nature of the NFL than the fact that the Los Angeles Rams own two fewer wins than a Cleveland Browns squad most expected to be in contention for the top pick in the 2027 draft. The Rams are an utter disappointment through six games and will fall well short of delivering on their title of preseason Super Bowl favorites if they do not turn their season around in the next few weeks. With the Rams out of the top tier of contenders for now, the door is open for someone else to take command of the championship race.
Perhaps the Chicago Bears can be that team now that Caleb Williams is healthy and is back to leading a seemingly uncontainable offense. The season is a month and a half old, so early-season noise is beginning to clear up. The real Super Bowl threats are emerging from the rest.
Here is how the championship race shapes up heading into Week 7. Going 2-1 without Caleb Williams manning the offense was crucial for the Bears. Avoiding a dreaded early-season slump kept all of their goals intact and left them primed to compete at the top of the crowded NFC North upon his return.
The Week 5 drubbing against the rival Green Bay Packers amplified the need for Williams to get back into the lineup, though, and he delivered an emphatic response to that embarrassing loss upon his reinsertion into the offense with a monster individual performance in a 31-23 win on the road over the Atlanta Falcons. It was the Bears' highest-scoring game since Week 1, which showed just how much Williams elevates this team. He completed his first 12 passes against a Falcons defense that has been surprisingly competitive this season en route to the sixth 300-yard effort of his career.
His +12.4% completion percentage over expected was his second-best mark to date, and the 83.3% total completion rate was both a career high and the best by any Bears quarterback with at least 30 pass attempts in franchise history. The hamstring seems just fine. This looks like a breakout season in the making for Williams.
All he needs to do is stay on the field. So long as he is available, Chicago seems likely to boast a top-tier offense. The season-opening loss in Australia was chalked up as a travel-related fluke.
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