Bears Could Take Advantage of One NFL Team's Misfortune

The Chicago Bears aren't first in the NFC North, but they are in a pretty good spot heading into Week 8. 

They are 5-2 after beating the New England Patriots 31-24 on Thursday Night Football. Caleb Williams and the Bears outdueled Drake Maye and the Patriots. 

The game was ultimately decided after a 57-yard field goal from Cairo Santos to ice things. The Bears escaped a disaster after Williams took a big sack on the play before, on third-and-five. 

Williams was sacked for 10 yards, taking the offense from the Patriots' 30-yard line to the 40. It's a good thing Santos hit the field goal, or the Bears might have been in a completely different position late in the game. 

The Bears were able to keep winning without Kyle Monangai in the lineup, who is still out with a thumb and turf toe injury. He now has extra time to recover, with the Bears' next game not until Nov. 2. 

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport thinks a return for Monangai could be coming soon. 

Things could be better, but some NFL teams across the country are doing much worse than the Bears. 

For starters, there's the Indianapolis Colts. 

The Colts are 2-4 after losing to the Tennessee Titans in Week 6, and the Titans hadn't won a game up to that point. 

Players like DeForest Buckner are growing frustrated. The franchise already moved on from General Manager Chris Ballard after the Titans' loss. 

In a recent interview, Buckner vented his frustrations. 

NFL Network's Tom Pelissero sees a fire sale coming involving Colts players. He believes that no one is off limits.  

For the Bears, this is a chance to profit from the Colts' dysfunction. If the Colts continue down this path, they will eventually be out of playoff contention. They already are, but they don't have much room for error. 

More losses mean that the Colts will be motivated to start trading away players. The Colts' next game is against the Minnesota Vikings, who, as the Bears know, have a tough defense to face under Brian Flores. 

The Bears don't need much help in the sack department, especially with Montez Sweat back from his Week 8 suspension. Chicago currently has the second-most sacks through seven games, at 19. 

However, it never hurts to pad the defensive line, especially if you're a team like the Bears with postseason aspirations. 

Chicago doesn't even have to commit to a long-term deal with Buckner. Buckner is 30 and in the final year of his contract with Indianapolis. 

Buckner currently has four sacks, 26 total tackles and four TFLs in six games. The production is there, especially for a defensive tackle. 

It'll be interesting to see what the Colts would want for a player like Buckner. He's still productive at his age, and teams like the Bears may be interested in him as they prepare for the playoffs. 

It's never too late to start adding to the defensive line. The Bears are 5-2 and have the postseason in sight. Buckner would be a welcome addition to an already stout defensive line. 

We'll see how Ryan Poles handles the trade deadline on Nov. 10.