The Chicago Bears have reached the Thanksgiving week after playing some really meaningful football, improving to 8-3 after a tight 31-28 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
With Chicago now sitting atop the NFC North, their quarterback, Caleb Williams, made it clear that the Bears aren’t settling for simply being better; they want to contend. After the victory, Williams emphasized that while Chicago is winning, the standard still needs to rise.
“We're an 8-3 team in the National Football League. So, we feel good about where we're at, but we go got to get better. Yeah, we don't feel like we're the same old Bears. We pull through for each other when it matters most.” said Williams.
That mindset reflects how quickly expectations have shifted inside the building. Over the final six weeks, the Bears hold one of the league’s most difficult schedules, battling the Packers, 49ers and Lions in a tight three-team race for the division.
Caleb Williams battles through inconsistency, but leads Chicago to another win
Even while dealing with injuries across the roster, including setbacks to the defense and left tackle Theo Benedet, the Bears managed to extend their winning streak to four games.
Williams, meanwhile, has been questioned time and again for his lack of “consistency,” but he overcame an erratic first half to deliver when Chicago needed him most. He acknowledged that his early rhythm was off, explaining why the offense sputtered out of the gate.
“Today in the beginning, it didn't feel like I got into a good rhythm,” Williams said. “I was missing passes and it was kind of weird. I wasn't too frustrated, like couple weeks ago where I was missing passes and got extremely frustrated and things like that. I understood and I wrote on my notes to stay positive for myself but also for the guys.”
Williams ultimately finished with three touchdown passes in the 31-28 win, and capped the night by finally getting a chance to meet Aaron Rodgers, who was sidelined with a fractured wrist — a moment he had been hoping for since entering the league.
“Right after the game, we ended up saying hello, get healthy, and we'll go from there,” Williams said.
Chicago now faces its toughest stretch, starting with a Black Friday showdown against the Philadelphia Eagles, and the next six weeks will determine just how far this new identity can take them.
