The Chicago Bears are riding high after trouncing the Cleveland Browns in Week 15, and they’re now gearing up for a pivotal matchup against the Green Bay Packers.
One of the reasons Chicago was so dominant against Cleveland is that Caleb Williams played one of his best games of the season. The young quarterback completed 60.7% of his passes for 242 yards and two touchdowns.
Williams is aware of how well he played on Sunday, but more importantly, he knows the Bears are a dangerous team when he’s playing like that. The quarterback made that clear on Tuesday, expressing, “If I play like how I played last game or play better, we have a real shot to do whatever we want in this league.”
"If I play like how I played last game or play better, we have a real shot to do whatever we want in this league."#Bears QB Caleb Williams
— Cassie Carlson (@CassieCarlsonTV) December 16, 2025
Caleb Williams makes it clear the Bears’ ceiling is dependent on his performance
That’s great self-awareness by Williams, but a statement like that puts a lot of pressure on the young quarterback. However, it is a fair assessment because Chicago has been an excellent team all around this year.
The defense has had some question marks, but the unit answers them with a league-high 30 takeaways. The run game has also been elite, averaging 151.9 rushing yards a game, which is second in the NFL.
The biggest concern, driven by Bears head coach Ben Johnson, has been the inconsistency of the passing game. Chicago is averaging just 217.2 passing yards a game, ranking an average 17th in the league. Williams has had several moments where he makes breathtaking plays that show he has the talent to be the best quarterback in the NFL, but he also has moments where it’s clear he’s just a quarterback in his second season, still figuring the NFL out.
Williams and Johnson are committed to making sure the quarterback has more moments of the former, not the latter. While it would be great to preach patience and let Williams put things all together on his timeline, the Bears are 10-4, fighting for the top seed in the NFC, and have a chance to do something special this season.
Read more: Bears' first Week 16 injury report isn't going to make Rome Odunze panic stop
How far they go could ultimately depend on their second-year quarterback. He’s aware of that, and he’s embracing the challenge.
