The early break for the Chicago Bears is over. The Bears will return to Halas Hall for practice Tuesday after their Week 5 bye as they prepare for their Monday Night Football rematch against the Washington Commanders on Monday, Oct. 13.

Chicago experienced different highs and lows during the first four weeks of the Ben Johnson era. Quarterback Caleb Williams has shown progress from the season-opener while the defense has created turnovers. But there are still major holes in all three phases for the Bears.

All of it has led to a 2-2 record and some major questions after the bye week. Chicago will try to answer some of those at practices this week and in Week 6 against the Commanders, the start of 13 straight games for the team until the end of the year.

Here are five big questions the Bears will need to answer after their bye.

Can Caleb Williams continue his development?

One of the biggest questions heading into the season was whether Johnson could unlock Williams’ full potential. Four weeks in, the duo seems to be heading on the right path.

After a slow start in the first two games, Williams made strides to help his team win two straight. Williams aired it out against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 3 and then led a late game-winning drive against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 4. He’s thrown for 927 yards, eight touchdowns and two interceptions and completed 62.3% of his passes.

More importantly, Williams has looked more comfortable with each game he’s played. Williams seemed to have a better command of the offense in the last two games and effectively moved the ball down the field. He told reporters last week that he’s proud of the improvements he’s made with his footwork and being comfortable with everything Johnson has thrown at him.

Now Williams will need to continue to show that steady improvement moving forward. He’ll try to balance being satisfied with the growth he’s made so far and what he still wants to accomplish.

“I think there’s a certain point where you’re not satisfied, never in a season where you’re satisfied because you’ve got so many games and so many things can go good and so many things can go bad, so you’re always wanting to be at an even state,” Williams said. “But you do recognize where you are and where you’re headed. You try to stay on that consistent path of growth and not ever ride the rollercoaster.”

Who’s the starting left tackle?

The Bears entered training camp with a battle for the starting left tackle spot. It looks like that competition will continue during the season.

Johnson seemingly reopened the battle against the Raiders when he took out starter Braxton Jones and replaced him with Theo Benedet in the second quarter. The two had battled it out along with Kiran Amegadjie and rookie Ozzy Trapilo during camp before Jones was named the starter at the beginning of the season.

Jones had a relatively fine start to the season, including a strong showing against the Cowboys where he didn’t give up a sack or pressure. But the Bears offensive line struggled to stop the Raiders pass rush early before settling in once Johnson took out Jones, moved Benedet and put Trapilo in at right tackle.

The decision at left tackle will likely come down to Jones and Benedet if starting right tackle Darnell Wright comes back from an elbow injury. Amegadjie is on injured reserve while Johnson has praised Trapilo for showing big improvements at right tackle.

Johnson said the coaching staff would evaluate everything from the first four weeks during the bye week in order to set up a plan at the spot moving forward. Tuesday’s return to practice could give a good hint on what that direction will be.

Is there a way to fix the pass rush?

Chicago’s top defensive question heading into the season was whether general manager Ryan Poles did enough during the offseason to improve the pass rush. So far, the answer is no.

The Bears have been close to getting to the quarterback in many games but always seem a step short of completing the play. According to Pro Football Reference, the Bears enter action Monday night tied for the least amount of sacks in the NFL at five. They’re also 28th in quarterback pressures (25), 31st in blitzes called (21) and tied for 19th in quarterback hurries (eight).

It’s been a universal struggle down the line. Five players lead the team with one sack. Top pass rusher Montez Sweat, the team’s top edge free agent signing Dayo Odeyingbo and defensive tackle Gervon Dexter each have one sack and three quarterback hits while edges Dominique Robinson and Tanoh Kpassagnon each added a sack.

The solution here isn’t clear. Second-year edge Austin Booker could come off the injured reserve this week and make an impact. But Chicago will need to look at everything, whether that’s moving guys around the line more, sending more rushers or making tweaks to defensive coordinator Dennis Allen’s scheme.

How can the running attack get going?

While Williams and the passing game made strides heading into the bye, the rushing attack is still looking for answers.

Chicago is averaging 102.3 rushing yards per game, ranking 24th in the league. Top rusher D’Andre Swift leads the Bears with 187 rushing yards on 56 carries while Williams is second with 110 off 24 runs. Rookie running back Kyle Monangai has 62 rushing yards on 17 carries and Roschon Johnson hasn’t earned a carry in three games.

Johnson didn’t put the rushing struggles on Swift alone after he rushed for 38 yards against the Raiders. Johnson felt the entire offense wasn’t pulling its weight, including himself, in order for the running game to succeed.

The Bears previously felt they were close to making the running game click. Some small play calling tweaks and better execution could finally get the unit going.

Will the Bears get healthy?

The Bears didn’t have the best health luck to start the season. The early bye might’ve been a good opportunity to turn their luck.

Starting nickel cornerback Kyler Gordon (hamstring) has missed all four games while starting cornerback Jaylon Johnson (groin) and linebacker T.J. Edwards (hamstring) have each missed three games. Veteran defensive tackle Grady Jarrett (knee), Wright (elbow) and rookie tight end Colston Loveland (hip) have each missed a game.

“I think there’s a certain point where you’re not satisfied, never in a season where you’re satisfied because you’ve got so many games and so many things can go good and so many things can go bad, so you’re always wanting to be at an even state. But you do recognize where you are and where you’re headed. You try to stay on that consistent path of growth and not ever ride the rollercoaster.”

—  Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears quarterback

Many of those players could return to practice this week and help solve some of the team’s problems. Although the timeline of Jaylon’s return is unknown after he had groin surgery, Edwards, Gordon and Loveland all reportedly were at practice last week and could return against the Commanders.