The good, bad, and ugly of the Chicago Bears 6 weeks into the season

The Chicago Bears (4-2) have had a roller coaster of a start to the season. But using the bye week to reflect, they are a team on the rise and have improved every week—and now is the perfect time to rest, as multiple key starters on defense have time to get healthy before facing No. 2 overall pick quarterback Jayden Daniels.

The roller coaster start to the season seems to be on a steady incline, and hopefully there won’t be many drops from this point on. Rookie quarterback Caleb Williams has found a groove, the offensive line has grown, and the defense is at the top of the NFL.

Before we get into the Bears’ Week 8 matchup against the Washington Commanders, let’s use the bye week to reflect on the good, bad, and ugly of Chicago’s first six games of the season.

The good

Caleb Williams: The first three weeks of the season were scary. It’s okay for a rookie quarterback to take some time, but Williams didn’t look comfortable on the field. Now, he seems to be the real deal for the Bears. Williams gets the whole offense involved, and his accuracy and throws are improving week-by-week. But what I think is the most impressive part of his game is his awareness in the pocket and ability to quickly and efficiently progress through reads. Williams looks like a seasoned vet the way he’s running this offense and has proven that he is likely the Bears’ savior at the quarterback position.

Pass blocking: Pass blocking started off poorly for the Bears. Their offensive line couldn’t protect Williams and allowed him to be sacked and pressured at a league-leading rate. Over the last three weeks, though, Williams has been sacked seven times. It isn't amazing, but it's a steady improvement over getting sacked seven times in one game.

Play calling: After just three weeks, Bears fans were calling for Shane Waldron’s head following some questionable decisions he made as the offensive coordinator. Now, he appears to be a more aggressive coach and playcaller, and it looks like he could help mold Williams into a Chicago great. Over the last three games, his plays have gotten more creative and have led to more and more success for the Bears’ offense. If he can keep it up, then maybe the Bears can hold onto an offensive coordinator for their young quarterback.

Secondary: Even with recent offensive success, the best part of the Bears—as always—is their defense. Chicago’s secondary could be the best in the NFL. They’ve been solid since Week 1 and have led to the Bears having the second-best coverage grade in the league at 86.9, according to Pro Football Focus (PFF). Opposing quarterbacks literally refuse to throw the ball towards Jaylon Johnson, and Tyrique Stevenson poses a threat on the opposite side of the field. And nickel Kyler Gordon doesn’t just disrupt the pass game from the slot but is a tackling machine in the backfield.

Pass rush: The other diamond on the Bears defense has been their ability to hurry the quarterback—especially the interior defensive line. They have the seventh-most sacks in the NFL, with 18 going into the bye week. Edge rusher Montez Sweat is tied for 14th in the league in quarterback hurries and has created opportunities for other edge rushers and interior linemen to succeed in getting to the quarterback.

The bad

Run Defense: It hasn't all been great for the Bears defense.The elephant in the room has been stopping the run. They give up 112 rushing yards per game, and opposing rushers average 4.6 yards per carry. The Bears finally shut down the run against the Jacksonville Jaguars last week, but other teams have taken advantage of this weakness on the defense—especially when Chicago is locking down the pass game. Hopefully this is an area they can shore up coming out of the bye.

Run blocking: Although the Bears’ pass protection has improved immensely over the last three weeks, the run blocking hasn’t been as impressive. Luckily, Swift and Roschon Johnson have still been able to increase their production in spite of their lack of push up front. According to PFF, the Bears are in the middle of the pack with a run block grade of 65.5, and playing two bad run defenses in the Jaguars and Carolina Panthers helped boost that grade. If the Bears offensive line can run block against good defenses the same way they did against the Panthers and Jaguars, they will be fine.

The ugly

Strength of wins: Bears fans are excited right now—and rightfully so. They finally have a promising young quarterback who already looks like THE guy. Some have been dismissive and invalidated Williams’ and the Bears performances because of the weak teams they’ve beaten, though. It’s good to be optimistic, but it’s true. The Bears’ have played the two worst NFL teams in the last two weeks, and now they have the strongest remaining schedule in the NFL. Williams needs to continue to prepare the right way and stay confident—while also taking what he can get—if he wants to lead his Bears past tougher opponents.

This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: The good, bad, and ugly of the Chicago Bears 6 weeks into the season