Nam Huh/AP
The Bears have gone from having the worst coach in the NFL to, perhaps, the best.
That’s quite a swing, but so is their improvement from 14-32 under Matt Eberflus to 11-4 and streaking toward the playoffs in Ben Johnson’s debut season. The Bears can clinch their first NFC North title since 2018 on Sunday with a win at the 49ers.
Johnson and 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan both are strong Coach of the Year candidates, though the Patriots’ Mike Vrabel is the betting favorite and was the runaway winner in a recent NFL Network poll of team executives.