The Chicago Bears returned from London with a high-powered offense and a surge in belief: ‘We were all locked in’

Keenan Allen and Montez Sweat are still pretty new around here.

So perhaps they wont fully grasp the irony of the exchange they had Sunday at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The Chicago Bears were absolutely trouncing the Jacksonville Jaguars and Sweat was growing antsy.

The Bears offense had been putting on such a show that their Pro Bowl pass rusher wasnt getting much opportunity to do his thing.

To a large extent, Sweat was a lot like the droves of Bears fans who traveled to London and then spent Sunday as wide-eyed enthusiasts watching rookie quarterback Caleb Williams find his groove .

Williams was throwing touchdown passes left and right and down the seam for that matter.

He had four touchdown tosses in all, two each to Allen and Cole Kmet .

And during one stretch from early in the second quarter to early in the third, the Bears outscored the Jaguars 21-0 while outgaining them 265-43 yards and also holding an eye-popping 32-8 advantage in plays run.

That left Sweat itching to get in on the fun.

Tez was like, Man, I was getting frustrated.

Yall kept converting on third downs and I was wanting to get back out there to get a sack,' Allen said with a smile.

I was just like, Yeah, man.

Its going to be like that sometimes.' Go figure, right? These are the Bears at the bye in 2024, a surging team on a three-game winning streak and in the midst of a success spike that has such an un-Bears-like vibe.

Suddenly the defense is now getting impatient with the offense because its controlling the game too much .

Wow.

What sweet relief coach Matt Eberflus and general manager Ryan Poles must be feeling.

Chicago Bears running back Roschon Johnson catches a pass in the second quarter of a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on Oct.

13, 2024.

(Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune) On Sunday, the Bears offense had 216 total yards in the second quarter alone, taking control of the game and never looking back.

And in a season where a proven Bears defense knew it would have to propel the teams success until a new-look offense with a rookie quarterback took off, there seems to be growing evidence that the wait may soon be over if it isnt already.

Back-to-back blowouts of the Jaguars and Carolina Panthers certainly need proper context.

If those opponents arent the two worst teams in the NFL, theyre at least in the bottom five.

Still, the Bears handled their business the past two weeks with proper concentration and game-day follow-through.

And now, with Williams comfortable behind the wheel, the offense is producing at such a clip the stat researchers are unearthing all sorts of milestone nuggets.

Its been 11 seasons since the Bears totaled at least 35 points in consecutive games.

Not since October 2006 have they beat back-to-back opponents by at least 17 points.

And go back to 1956 a decade before the Super Bowl era began to find a time when the offense last scored five touchdowns in two straight games.

(George Blanda was the quarterback then, Paddy Driscoll the coach.) No wonder there is such a significant swell of belief inside the Bears locker room, past mediocrity be damned.

I understand what it has been here, safety Kevin Byard said Sunday evening.

But obviously over these past couple years, Ryan Poles and (Eberflus) have been bringing in guys to change that culture.

Now we go into every single week expecting to win.

And regardless of what adversity we may face in games, we remain a very confident unit.

Maybe theres something to those sentiments.

Byard is one of 20 Bears who participated in Sundays game after joining the organization this year.

Twelve others signed on to the program in 2023.

That group likely doesnt feel much of the historical baggage the Bears always seem to carry around with them.

And that has helped this fast start.

Chicago Bears safety Elijah Hicks and cornerback Jaylon Johnson celebrate after Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Christian Kirk was unable to catch a pass for a touchdown in the end zone at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on Oct.

13, 2024.

(Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune) More significantly though, the Bears see undeniable evidence that they have all the makings of a legitimate playoff team.

The talent, the depth, the growing unity.

And while the front office and coaching staff strategized the teams Tuesday arrival in the United Kingdom last week as a way of getting players body clocks adjusted properly Eberflus was also hopeful that five full days together overseas with countryside lodging and a remote practice location at Hanbury Manor in Ware would strengthen the team camaraderie.

Its a sentiment Eberflus emphasized again as he addressed his players immediately after Sundays victory.

The relationships we built over the summer and in the spring, that paid off, didnt it? Eberflus said.

Backup linebacker and core special teamer Amen Ogbongbemiga, who had a fourth-quarter sack Sunday, knows what Eberflus has been aiming for and has felt the results.

Its kind of hard to explain, Ogbongbemiga said.

But this trip felt kind of like a bowl game in college where everyone just hung out together.

We already had a real tight-knit group.

And we didnt skip a beat even being all the way across the pond.

Chicago Bears linebacker Amen Ogbongbemiga and defensive tackle Chris Williams celebrate after a sack by Ogbongbemiga in the fourth quarter of a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on Oct.

13, 2024.

(Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune) Tight end Marcedes Lewis, now 40 years old and in his 19th season, agrees theres a valuable intangible mushrooming inside this team right now.

This is a group where we truly love each other, Lewis said.

Even being here together (in England) this week, we grew closer.

Guys who dont normally hang out together hung out.

Younger guys with vets, the vets with younger guys.

And having that opportunity to have meaningful conversations with one another is beneficial.

We have a genuine appreciation for each other.

And its showing on the field.

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the Jacksonville Jaguars Whats shown most over the past three weeks is that the Bears are now playing high-level complementary football with all three phases contributing in winning ways.

And with three consecutive victories in which they havent trailed after halftime, the teams ability to close a door is showing.

The offense is obviously getting it rolling, Byard said.

The defense is always going to be confident.

And if you want to be able to play those meaningful games late in the year, everyone has to play well.

To win big games in this league, your best players have to step up.

Weve been doing that here.

Byard smiled wide when asked if the blowout of the Jaguars registered as fun.

Absolutely this was fun today, he said We were all locked in.

The veteran safetys biggest conclusion, though, as he headed into the teams bye week was one that should propel the Bears when they get back to work next week.

This, Byard said, is what its supposed to look like..

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