Nothing good usually can be taken from finally earning your 6th win in the 17th week of the season, but the Chicago Bears and their utter embarrassment of the New York Giants certainly paints a temporarily-rosy picture at Soldier Field.

Two underachieving teams playing late in the season typically fail to have any sort of gusto attached to it, but the Bears surely had fun with it, oftentimes making the Giants look like a struggling Division III team that was called up to play with the big boys.

Even without QB Justin Fields leading the charge for the Bears, Andy Dalton made his return to the field and, while he struggled, was overshadowed by the rest of the offense, which focused on David Montgomery and Darnell Mooney’s production.

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Bears Week 17 Takeaways

3. Run-dominated offense benefits Montgomery – but what about 2022?

The workhorse role that Montgomery grew into during his time with the Bears has been very beneficial, both for Chicago and for fantasy purposes.

Under head coach Matt Nagy, the Bears have utilized the run more than they should be at times, but Montgomery has been the lead guy for the past three seasons, raising his ceiling every year. The best part about his role is that his pass-catching abilities have increased over the years, and he now is a fully-fledged dual-threat RB option that excels in the passing game too.

The uncertainty surrounding Nagy’s future puts Montgomery’s status up in the air, but with the Bears likely needing a new HC for the future, it will be interesting to see how Montgomery’s workhorse role shifts as the offense changes how it’s run.

2. Dalton should not be anywhere near a starting job next season

A puzzling move at the time, spending up to $13 million on Dalton didn’t make sense, but these kinds of moves have unfortunately become second nature for Chicago in their quest to dig a deep hole in the NFC North.

While Dalton stepped in during the early parts of the season to help bridge the gap until Fields was ready, he was A) never worth the $10+ million he was signed for and B) never needed to be brought in in the first place. Fields had day one starter written all over him, and you don’t move up in the draft for a QB that will just sit and wait his turn – if any team is smart, Dalton will only be signed to a small deal to be the team’s bench-ridden QB2 and nothing more.

1. Mooney is more than capable of taking over WR1 responsibilities

Think its safe to say Allen Robinson regrets signing the franchise tag last offseason?

With his lack of involvement in the Chicago offense, Robinson is all but gone at this point, and with Mooney growing into his own, the second-year, fifth-round selection looks to be in line for the #1 role next season.

Fields and Mooney established a solid connection as the season progressed, and that will only continue into next season, regardless of who else is brought into the WR ranks. Mooney’s 13 targets against the Giants were the second-most this season, showcasing that he is mostly QB proof and he is absolutely the in-house answer to who the Bears should build around for their WR ranks.