​The Chicago Bears have reached the midway point of the 2026 season, where they’re sitting at 7-2 and in first place in the NFC North. But there’s still a tough stretch ahead of them.In Ben Johnson’s second season as head coach, the Bears have positioned themselves as contenders in the NFC once again, but they’re more complete than ever. Quarterback Caleb Williams has been playing better than ever (minus an uncharacteristic performance in Week 9) and has the offense rolling as one of the NFL’s best. Meanwhile, the addition of All-Pro defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons has jumpstarted the defense in just two games.With the Bears in the middle of their bye week, here are the biggest concerns that will be focal points for the duration of the 2026 season:PenaltiesOnce again, the Bears have been marred by self-inflicted mistakes in the form of penalties, which have been costly at times despite their 7-2 record. Chicago has been kicking themselves with penalties even dating back to Week 1’s massive 59-37 win over the Carolina Panthers. But the Bears have had six games where they’ve committed eight or more penalties, including 12 against the Panthers (Week 1) and Atlanta Falcons (Week 6) and 10 against the Seattle Seahawks (Week 8). Some of those penalties have been egregious ones occurring after the play, like Zavion Thomas’ most recent one against the Buccaneers that changed the game. Chicago needs to be more disciplined heading into this final stretch. While it’s easy to look past the penalties because the Bears are winning, at some point those are going to catch up to you and be the reason why you lose, especially with this gauntlet in the second half of the season.Run gameMuch like last year, the Bears face questions about their struggling run game at the bye week. But last season that moment of truth came after the first month of the season, igniting what would be a top-three run game for the duration. While Chicago had the best run game in the NFL through the first seven weeks of the season, things have significantly dropped off since Kyle Monangai’s injury, which has forced him to miss the last five games. In Weeks 1-4, the Bears averaged 196 rushing yards per game eclipsing 230 yards twice and hitting 120+ in each game with D’Andre Swift and Monangai. In Weeks 5-8, Chicago averaged just 105 yards per game, falling short of 100 yards in two games before bouncing back with 116 and 126 yards in their last two games, with Swift and Roschon Johnson. The good news is it appears that Monangai is set to return for Week 11 against the Saints, and Johnson knows how that could be a lightning rod for this run game.Pass defenseIf there’s one glaring weakness of the defense, it’s the secondary, which has been marred by injuries and some struggling veteran play. Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love displayed as much with his shredding of the Bears secondary in Week 5 to the tune of 367 passing yards, two touchdowns — both 40-plus passing scores — and six