The 2025 Chicago Bears are winning games that in the past they would have found a way to lose.
Sitting at 5-3, Ben Johnson's club has won three tight games to open the season. Those victories have built a belief in Chicago that they can overcome any situation.
"I think it's just a different year, different vibe," quarterback Caleb Williams said on Wednesday, via ESPN. "I think we've done a good job in some of those games; I would say that last year we didn't do a good job in close games, tight games. I think we've won those games, and now we need to get to the point where we're hitting on all cylinders as a team, all three phases of football, to be able to go out there and put up a lot of points and keep the other side with the least amount of points possible."
The Bears blocked a last-second field goal to squeak by the Raiders in a one-point Week 4 win, beat the Commanders by one in Week 6 on a walk-off field goal, and eked out a five-point shootout win over the Bengals in Week 9 after a near-epic collapse.
Don't discount the positive mindset that winning those games can build in a locker room.
"This particular team in years past would find ways to lose games, and now we're finding ways to win games," Johnson said. "So I think they're looking to change that narrative. Now that we've done that, we've got to continue to develop that killer instinct. We're going to continue to get better there. But I think it's a really good group.
"I can't say enough good things about our locker room. We really have zero issues with discipline or anything of that nature. These guys just want to come out and play ball and win games and be there for their teammates. Usually, you've got some bad apples in there, but we really don't. We have just a really strong locker room."
Williams has been a touchpoint all season. At times, he flashes the big arm and out-of-pocket playmaking that made him the No. 1 overall pick in 2024. At others, he still seems uncomfortable in the pocket, is slow to move to his second read and has missed more throws than he would like.
The key for Johnson is that he's seen weekly improvement from his second-year signal-caller.
"I do think he's getting better every week," Johnson said. "There's ups and there's downs. And some weeks are better than others, which we knew. But he's in a lot better place now with his process than he was to start the season. The week isn't necessarily smooth sailing always, but I think that's to be expected with Year 1 in a new system. So he's learning, and he's spending a lot of time at it, so I'm very pleased with his approach. I think we've got the right group of guys around him to help support him. And so I think we're going to continue to see him take off here the second half of the season."
If Williams takes off, and the Bears continue to find ways to win close games, Johnson's club will be one to reckon with down the stretch, even with the schedule stiffening up as we hit Thanksgiving.
