Sunday, at Soldier Field in Chicago, the Chicago Bears beat NFC North rivals, the Detroit Lions 28-13 to up their record to 5-8 on the season. This is the first time under head coach Matt Eberflus’ tenure that the team has won back-to-back games.

Avenging their frustrating Week 11 31-26 loss to the Lions– one which saw them allow fifteen come from behind points in the last four minutes of the game– the team looked sharp and motivated. Bolstered by a strong defensive effort (which has now allowed 13 or fewer points in back-to-back games) and an effective Justin Fields-DJ Moore offensive duo, the Bears played more like a playoff contender than a team floundering at the bottom of the league standings.

DJ Moore (Wide Receiver)

DJ Moore makes things happen. There’s no denying that the pairing of Moore and Justin Fields has a touch of magic to it. The six-year veteran, who came over in the Bears’ offseason deal with the Carolina Panthers, led the team with six catches for 68 yards, a feat which included a go-ahead 38-yard touchdown reception from Fields. Moore also made his impact on the ground via a 16-yard touch down run in the opening series of the game.

Montez Sweat (Defensive End)

The Chicago Bears front office took some flak for acquiring Sweat from the Commanders at the NFL trade deadline in exchange for a 2024 draft pick. The deal, however, has proven to be a real boon to what was a somewhat stagnant Bears defense and, specifically, to the team’s pass rushing efforts. In Sunday’s game, Sweat notched a sack of Lions’ quarterback Jared Goff, with four quarterback hits, one pass breakup, and five tackles overall.

Jaquan Brisker (Safety)

Brisker was on fire Sunday, leading the team with 17 total tackles, with 13 of them being solo jobs. This was the most tackles in a game by a Bears safety in franchise history and the sixth-most by a safety in all of NFL history. The 17 tackles were also the most by any Bear, at any position, in the last two seasons. In addition to the tackles, Brisker would register two pass breakups.

Justin Fields (Quarterback)

Fields is making it exceedingly difficult if the team’s goal is to ditch him and select either Caleb Williams or Drake Maye with the no. 1 pick in the coming year’s draft. Overall, Fields was 19 of 33, with 232 passing yards and one touchdown, plus zero turnovers. On the ground, he ran for 58 yards in 12 carries, including an 11-yard touchdown run in the closing minutes of the game to give the Bears some breathing room. Fields’ efforts on Sunday made him the second-fastest quarterback in NFL history to achieve 2,000 rushing yards and 5,000 passing yards in his career.

Justin Jones (Defensive Tackle)

Jones, the Bears’ nominee for Walter Payton Man of the Year, made an impact on the field against Detroit on Sunday with five tackles, including one tackle for loss, two quarterback hits and 1.5 sacks. The six-year veteran has been an integral part of the Bears defense all season, performing well in the middle of the defensive line against both the rush and the pass.

All in all there was a lot to be happy about in Sunday’s game against their NFC North rivals, the Detroit Lions. Truthfully, there could probably be at least a half-dozen more mentions on this MVP list, including tight end Cole Kmet, linebacker Tremaine Edmunds, cornerback Jaylon Johnson, and even the embattled Bears head coach Matt Eberflus, who won points for offensive creativity and solid defensive play-calling.