The Chicago Bears haven’t had it easy this season. It was no different last Sunday. The New York Giants jumped out to a 17-7 lead and were up 20-10 late in the 4th quarter. If Caleb Williams couldn’t pull off another comeback, the Bears would fall to 5-4 right as they’re hitting the toughest part of their schedule. True to form, Williams responded with back-to-back touchdown drives. The last saw him delivering the killing blow with his legs. Chicago escaped with a 24-20 win, pushing its record to 6-3 and moving near the top of the NFC North.
Williams celebrated in his usual way, showcasing his passion for the game by jumping around and hyping up fans. It continued into the locker room, where he hugged teammates, GM Ryan Poles, and team president Kevin Warren. Then came head coach Ben Johnson. When the two came together for a hug, Williams whispered something into his ear. Cameras from Inside The NFL caught the exchange.
Johnson: “I’m proud of you.”
Williams: “We gotta get better.”
People have criticized Williams for not being a leader, dating back to his days at USC. This simple exchange completely invalidates those assessments. In the midst of one of his best performances, all the quarterback could think about was how the offense wasn’t good enough.
Caleb Williams isn’t naive.
He understood what he saw on Sunday like everybody else. Bears skill players were credited with six dropped passes against the Giants, and it was probably more. Those miscues likely cost the team an additional 14 points, which would’ve made this game far less heart-stopping. Chicago got away with it because New York isn’t a very good team. Caleb Williams knows they can’t expect similar good fortune to follow them against the array of playoff contenders they’re about to face over the next two months.
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He is correct. They do need to be better. If they want to contend with the best of the NFC, they must play more efficient football. No doubt Johnson agrees with him. The coaching staff is working tirelessly to get the Bears to that point. It hasn’t happened yet. Still, this process usually takes time. The fact that Chicago is still finding ways to win is a great sign for what is to come.