Micah's takeaways from Caleb Williams and Bears' 8th win of season

It was another week that reinforced how much the culture surrounding the Chicago Bears has drastically changed. Many reasons exist for why this team is 8-3 and stacking wins. That is one of the biggest signs for a team headed in the right direction: when there are too many people to give credit to. Everybody on this team might get a game ball when the season wraps up, far more than just Caleb Williams.

Here are my takeaways from the Bears' first win versus a team with a winning record, the Pittsburgh Steelers, on Sunday:

Caleb Williams delivered

Caleb Williams still had his fair share of mistakes, and one of them was extremely costly, giving the Steelers an extra 7 points on the insane sack by T.J. Watt. Caleb Williams, without his run game, had an effective day, made some special throws, and managed to pass for 3 touchdowns and 239 yards. Caleb, in Sunday's game, took a step forward and managed to play pretty well against a Steelers defense that can put together a tremendous defensive performance. Caleb will now walk into Friday's matchup against the Eagles feeling confident and ready to take on the reigning Super Bowl champs.

I want to see more of Ozzy Trapilo at LT

Theo Benedet was ruled out for Sunday's game, and Ozzy Trapilo, the second-round pick, got his opportunity to show what he can do at left tackle. He did not disappoint. He managed to give up only one pressure, and he finished the game with an 84.6 pass block grade according to PFF. There was a realistic chance that Trapilo was going to be the starter at left tackle coming into the season, but he went through his fair share of growing pains, as most rookies do in camp. In the chances Trapilo has gotten to start at either tackle spot, he has impressed. The Bears' ideal scenario would be their second-round draft pick taking over the left tackle spot. If that were to happen, the Bears would have their starting offensive line solidified for next season, too. The Bears then could head into the draft ready to splurge on defense. Even with Benedet healthy, I would like to see Trapilo get one more chance at left tackle.

Ryan Poles vision looks pretty good

Maybe it is just because the Bears finally have the right coaches to develop and coach up the talent on the roster, but all the acquisitions Ryan Poles has made are paying off. Ryan Poles took 3 offensive players in the first two rounds of this past NFL Draft class, and all three made an impact on Sunday. Colston Loveland and Luther Burden both had 40 yards receiving each, and Loveland chipped in another touchdown. Ozzy Trapilo, in his first start at left tackle, was really impressive as I mentioned above. Poles also took guard Luke Newman in the 6th round, and he even came in for a couple of snaps to relieve Jonah Jackson and held his own. Newman also played football back for a snap or two and made an impact. He will definitely be a name to watch for a potential Joe Thuney replacement down the road. Maybe Ryan Poles must be underrated. Selection Kyle Monangai Poles, 7th round draft pick, scored a touchdown for the third straight game, and he led the Bears in rushing yards with 48 on 12 carries. It looks so far like the 2025 NFL Draft class has been full of hits for Poles. Free agency was not so bad either, as it appears Poles has put together the Bears' best offensive line in quite some time, with 3 new starters on the offensive line acquired in the offseason. Ryan Poles gets a lot of flak for his misses, but now is the time for him to see his vision come to life. Got to give him some credit for the Bears' success this season.

Dennis Allen was the right choice as defensive coordinator

Dennis Allen has had to deal with injuries all season, yet this defense has been good enough to help the Bears get to 8-3. The Bengals game was a disaster, but more often than not, this defense has shown up. Against the Steelers, that notion was the most evident. The Bears were down 7 starters, and reserve linebacker Ruben Hyppolite II even went down with an injury. Yet this defense still played well enough to ensure another victory. Nahshon Wright had another great performance, and Montez Sweat had his best game of the season. Dennis Allen is getting the most out of whoever is suiting up for the Chicago Bears defense. The Bears' most important defensive players are on track to have great seasons. Obviously, Tremaine Edmunds' heading to IR is a tough blow, but prior to that, he was on track for an All-Pro season. Kevin Byard is going to be an All-Pro as well, as he is the current NFL leader in interceptions. Dennis Allen is taking the success Matt Eberflus had and taking it to a whole other level with less. Ben Johnson could not have hired a better defensive coordinator.

Montez Sweat will get double-digit sacks this season and have a career year

Montez Sweat started the season off slow, but he has been lights out since the bye week. In the last 6 weeks, Sweat has posted 6.5 sacks. He was elite against the Pittsburgh Steelers and a big reason for the Bears' win. The Bears were down 7 starters, but Sweat made sure to elevate that blow with his dominant play. After a down year, seeing Sweat get back to his play in 2023 after getting traded to the deadline has been a huge blow for an injury-riddled Bears defense. I think Sweat will touch double-digit sacks in the next couple of weeks and finish the season with career-high numbers.

This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Key reasons why Chicago Bears and Caleb Williams defeated Steelers