The Bears have now won three straight games, each of them by multiple scores. This isn’t just a series of ordinary wins. These are dominant performances completed with a dominant defense, a super-talented quarterback coming into his own and a set of explosive skill players.

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Optimism, as you’d expect, is on the rise heading into a Week 7 bye. The Bears are 4-2, with two more winnable games on the other side of the break. While the competition during this positive run has been lackluster, how the Bears have played is as important as the results.

That’s why we’ve got some extremes within our overreactions following 35-16 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Plain and simple: The Bears defense is elite

Overreaction: Nope.

There are quite a few teams who could lay claim to this class, but the Bears are one. They haven’t allowed more than 21 points in a game all season. Per the Bears, the team leads the league with 13 total takeaways, which is second best in the league heading into the Monday night games. They’ve also scored 47 points off turnovers, mostly because the defense continues to put the offensive attack in good positions.

The Bears are Top 10 in all major statistical categories, even after some early run struggles and issues allowing explosive plays. They’re also fifth in points allowed at 16.8 per game.

They have playmakers at every level, with the depth to weather injuries. Sunday was proof of that, when the Bears were down three starters and still got a takeaway and held their own on the back end.

We always knew the secondary would be stout and the linebacker corps was an anchor, but a potent pass rush has been a surprise addition that has fortified the defense overall.

“This defense plays well together, which is so important at this level,” safety Kevin Byard said. “We have a high standard for ourselves and meeting that on each play is our primary goal. That doesn’t change no matter who’s in the lineup. We expect to get stops and turnovers. We expect to do our job well every time out there.”

Let’s go back to the original question, though. Is this defense elite? That implies Top 5 to me. I think they’re worthy of such classification, though potency over a longer term will cement it.

Bears should be considered a real playoff contender

Overreaction: At this point, yes.

The Bears are performed well through the opening portion of the season. There’s no arguing that. And yet, their 4-2 record is tied for the worst in the NFC North. Yep. You read that right. The NFC North is performing that well overall, with each team looking dangerous in its own way.

While that includes the Bears, we’ll have to see these teams start to play each other before deciding which teams are playoff worthy. There’s a wild-card spot (or two) up for the division as well, but these good teams could end up beating each other up and driving records down. The Bears go through a gauntlet starting in Week 10 where the Bears play each division foe over three games.

We’ll know far more about where the Bears stand following that stretch. Until then, Chicago must keep winning and developing as a team (and staying healthy) to play the type of football required to beat the Lions, Vikings and Packers.

Cole Kmet is the league’s most underrated tight end

Overreaction?: Maybe not.

There are lots of excellent tight ends in this league. Travis Kelce, George Kittle and Sam LaPorta are probably in an elite class. There’s a large tier just below them that includes Brock Bowers, Jake Ferguson, Evan Engram and Dallas Goedert, just to name a new.

Cole Kmet probably deserves to be in that class, with an all-around game that’s highlighted by his chemistry with Williams. Is he considered in that class? It’s tough to say. Big offensive numbers place you there, despite the fact that Kmet’s more of an all-around type who is integral as a blocker the running game.

He had an excellent day on Sunday, with five catches for 70 yards and two touchdowns. He showed so much skill on those catches, with good hands and route running, with solid runs after the catch and an ability to straight-up truck someone.

Kmet ranks second among tight ends with games featuring two-plus touchdowns since 2020. He’s got five of those after Sunday’s big game and is on pace for a career receiving year, with a catch percentage that’s well above his career average.

While his league-wide ranking is up for debate, he’s incredibly valuable to Williams and the Bears offense overall.

Caleb Williams is a Top 10 QB

Overreaction?: Let’s pull back on the reins a little bit

Bears rookie quarterback Caleb Williams has been awesome in recent weeks, making excellent throws, smart decisions and something out of nothing by running when a play breaks down.

His numbers are improving across the board after a relatively slow start, but arrows are all pointing up. He has to show well for a longer stretch and against better competition to be ranked that high, especially with so many established veterans playing so well whether their teams are winning or losing.

[WATCH: Coach Wannstedt breaks down Caleb Williams’ big day]

The best thing about Williams is how fast he learns and corrects mistakes. He’s elite doing that, which will help him continue to progress throughout the year. His performance the past three weeks has been really good, though, with a passer rating above 100 in each game. He also has seven touchdowns to just one pick in that span. Williams is getting fooled less and capitalizing on blitzes more.

Bears fans should feel great about their quarterback to this point, but they should also understand there’s adversity ahead. It comes for everyone at some point. It’s how he weathers it that will be important, making sure the lows don’t last long.