Bears’ turnover records bode very well for championship hopes

The Bears might be flawed, but their ability to take care of the football could be their saving grace in the playoffs.

Jan 4, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears safety Kevin Byard III (31) runs with the ball after making an interception against the Detroit Lions during the second half at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images

No one who watched the Chicago Bears this season would argue they’re the most complete team in the NFL at this juncture. After all, we just saw them fail to show up with the No. 2 seed on the line Sunday against the Detroit Lions. Though it all ended up working out in their favor, scoring 16 points at home isn’t going to get it done when the postseason kicks off on Saturday against the Green Bay Packers.

But one thing that does bode well for the Bears? Their penchant for not making crippling mistakes—and their knack for taking advantage when other teams do it.

The Bears just made an encouraging bit of history following their Week 18 loss, becoming the first team since the 2011 San Francisco 49ers to lead the NFL in takeaways (33) while committing the fewest turnovers (11).

They’re also the first Chicago Bears team to pull that off since 1963, back when Billy Wade was slinging the rock and Mike Ditka was catching it. That's something first-year head coach Ben Johnson can hang his hat on.

Chicago earned that distinction largely by snagging a league-leading 23 interceptions, one ahead of the Jacksonville Jaguars, backed by Kevin Byard’s NFL-high seven picks and Nahshon Wright’s five. On the flip side, Caleb Williams has proven historically good at avoiding interceptions, aside from odd plays like his failed shot throw to DJ Moore against the Lions.

The other fun fact about this particular takeaway stat: it’s signified postseason success in its limited sample size. Those 2011 49ers, lead by current Chargers coach and former Bears quarterback Jim Harbaugh, went to the NFC Championship game, where they lost to the eventual Super Bowl Champion New York Giants. Meanwhile, that 1963 Bears squad won an NFL title (over the aforementioned Giants) in the pre-Super Bowl era.

As we’ve mentioned already, the Bears’ stellar turnover margin has covered up their deficiencies in certain areas as they’ve built their still-impressive 11-6 record. Without those takeaways, the Bears would likely be one of the worst defenses in the league, for example.

But sometimes, the best way to win in the NFL, especially when margins of victory can be extremely thin, is to minimize mistakes and be opportunistic when your opponent screws up. After years of constantly being the team that made the big mistakes, shoring that up shows just how quickly you can raise your floor and keep your margin for error as high as it can be.

It’s no surprise that teams that play the cleanest football this time of year tend to win playoff games. Hopefully, the Bears can follow suit and play their way past Wildcard Weekend.

More Chicago Bears News:

• The good and bad of the Bears losing to the Lions in Week 18

• Bears “Stock Up” Week 8: Chicago’s postseason hopes take a leap despite the ‘L’

• Bears “Stock Down” Week 18: Slot defense lets Chicago down with No. 2 seed on the line

• Caleb Williams rocks Ben Johnson’s high school jersey to season finale